


Connections

by PhoenixFire315



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Blood and Violence, Chocobos, Clones, Cloud & Tifa Friendship, Enemies to Friends, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, First Dates, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, Happy Ending, Jenova Cells, Mild Sexual Content, Mind Control, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Advent Children (Compilation of FFVII), Post-Dirge of Cerberus (Compilation of FFVII), Post-Meteorfall (Compilation of FFVII), Project G, Romance, Smut, Turks (Compilation of FFVII), Turks being awesome, WRO
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:00:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 86,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24741169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixFire315/pseuds/PhoenixFire315
Summary: After Tifa realizes that she's never really done anything for herself, she sets off on her own adventure filled with friends both old and new.  Along the way she discovers that forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting, and that the lines between friends and enemies are rarely set in stone.
Relationships: Barret Wallace/ Original Character, Elena/Tseng, Tifa Lockhart/Rude, Vincent Valentine/Original Female Character(s), Yuffie Kisaragi/Reno
Comments: 228
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, playing the new remake has me falling back into my love for FFVII. This is a Tifa-centric fic, and there will be pairings as well as tags to come. I'd love your feedback!

Allowing herself a brief moment of remembrance, Tifa looked around at the now-empty bar with a sigh. The chairs and stools rested upside down against the tabletops, and the dim light—illuminating specs of dust in the air as they swirled and flowed lazily—seeping in from the windows made the space seem… haunted. No more pictures. No more smiling friends and rowdy customers. After almost four years Tifa’s Seventh Heaven was closing its doors.

Her life had changed so much in the year following their encounter with the remnants. Barret had remarried and he and Marlene had moved to New Corel permanently. Tifa loved Alana, his new wife, and had found a very dear friend in the outgoing nurse. Curves for days, a riot of curly black hair, and beautiful mocha skin- she was gorgeous, and had a heart that matched. The first time Tifa had witnessed Alana bossing Barret around their new home, sassing him into a blushing, stammering mess when she made a comment referring to certain privileges she would be refraining from allowing him if he hadn’t cleaned up all the mud he’d tracked in, she had laughed so hard she nearly cried.

It took no less than ten seconds for Marlene to wrap her around her finger too, though that was no surprise to Tifa. Alana adored her new step-daughter, and doted on her constantly. Surprisingly, she also managed to get Denzel to warm up to her rather quickly, and Tifa’s heart clenched with the bittersweet realization that this was what a family really looked like.

For a short while following Meteorfall, she had dreamed that she could have that too.

They had succeeded in saving the planet- with Aerith’s aid from the Lifestream- and they could all begin their lives anew. Tifa had fantasized so often of what a life with Cloud could look like, but it didn’t take long before she realized that something more than friendship between them would never happen.

It was in all the things not said. The walls they both had unconsciously erected, and, of course, the knowledge that if Aerith had lived, she would be the one with Cloud. She had long ago let go of any feelings of jealousy or resentment- not that there had been many to begin with, as Tifa loved Aerith as a sister- and after a while it just became… easy to ignore the fading feelings she once held towards Cloud. She loved him, she realized that without a doubt during the battle with Bahamut SIN, but she wasn’t in love with him anymore.

To his credit, he had made much more of an effort to be present in their lives after the battle above Midgar. Denzel had bloomed into a happy, confident child with the support of three people who cared about him very much. But when Marlene had moved things had changed for the worse. The boy had begun to revert to his quiet, solemn moods, and Tifa knew what she had to do to ensure his happiness. Cloud had agreed.

And so Tifa had spoken to Barret and Alana, and both were more than happy to have Denzel move in with them. Cautious of the boy’s fear of abandonment, she had told him in excited tones that he was going to be able to go to school with Marlene in Corel. The moment she detected his pause- thinking, assessing, _are they leaving me_ \- she had dropped the next piece of news. She was selling the bar.

“I’ll be able to be there with you, in Corel, whenever you want. And during the summers, we can all vacation in Costa together,” Tifa had told him. The promise of tropical summer vacations had been enough to assuage the boy’s fears that he was simply being dumped with someone else. Denzel knew that Tifa always kept her promises.

Cloud had decided to take his delivery business completely mobile. There was no longer any need for an office—he barely used it anyway—and he had given his word that he would spend his down time in Corel with the kids. When they had begun the process of cleaning out the building that had been their home, he had shown an uncharacteristic moment of thoughtfulness by gently taking Tifa’s hand and staring at her for long enough that she began to fear what he would say, though she needn’t have.

“You should go see everyone. Travel a bit. Denzel is gonna be busy settling… do something for yourself for once,” Cloud had said quietly, though his gaze was serious as he stared at her. Tifa had been shocked, an argument on the tip of her tongue, but something about his words gave her pause.

_Do something for yourself for once._

When was the last time she did something that she wanted to do, without thinking about Cloud or the kids? She couldn’t recall. Her life for so long had been driven by purpose: making Shinra pay for the loss of her home and family, aiding AVALANCHE, stopping Sephiroth, and then rebuilding Edge and helping the people displaced by Meteor’s destruction of Midgar. But doing something simply for herself… she couldn’t even recall.

And so Tifa gave him a warm smile and nodded, and Cloud had let out a satisfied hum and left her to her thoughts. Her mind was swimming with possibilities, and she was at a bit of a loss. Where would she go first? What would she do?

She didn’t quite know, and that didn’t really bother her at all.

Almost a month after Cloud’s suggestion, Tifa stood in the empty bar for the last time, alone but not lonely, her heavy pack strung over her shoulder. When she felt she was done saying goodbye to this chapter of her life, Tifa felt a bubble of excitement growing within at the thought of what could come next.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa is interrupted before she can depart Edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A hint of where things may be leading...

She locked the door to the Seventh Heaven behind her, the keys already having been delivered to the property’s new owner, and took a brief moment to check her gear before setting out. Her Premium Hearts were well cared for, and she’d made sure to keep up her conditioning over the years with the massive punching bag in the basement. Her Wizard’s Bracelet was full of materia—mastered and kept hidden from Yuffie after the fall of Meteor—and she had her Ribbon secured around her wrist.

They had all dyed their Ribbons pink in honor of Aerith, and Tifa never removed hers. The fact that it was such a powerful accessory was only an added bonus.

When she was sure that she was really ready, Tifa let out a low sigh and spun on her heels, slowly descending the steps and heading away from the bar.

She didn’t look back.

It was early enough that most of Edge was still asleep, and Tifa was thankful, though she felt a bit guilty about it. They had kept the fact that they were leaving quiet, and she didn’t really feel like an extended goodbye at the moment. So, she continued on in the cool morning air, lost in her thoughts about where she was going and what she would do.

Tifa knew that she wanted to visit all of her friends, that was a given. But there were others that she had thought about over the years too. The little girl from Junon they had saved when they had first began their journey. Her freedom-fighter friends at Fort Condor. And… Elmyra. Her heart clenched, though the once piercing pain had dulled over time. Yes, she would visit Elmyra first.

She had nearly reached the outskirts of the city when something made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, and Tifa’s gaze snapped up to see a pair of men in her path. Her fists clenched at her sides a moment before she realized they were no threat to her.

Not anymore.

“Heya Lockhart, going somewhere?”

Tifa couldn’t restrain a smirk at the red-headed Turk’s words, shaking her head as Reno and Rude stopped a few feet away from her. They were both in their Turk suits, though Rude’s clothes were immaculate as ever and Reno appeared as though he had just rolled out of bed. While Reno grinned down at her, hands in his pockets, Rude simply gave her a polite nod, his expression as unreadable as ever.

“I thought you’d already know the answer to that. Being a Turk and all,” Tifa quipped, and the red head chuckled.

“Yeah yeah, we don’t actually know _everything_ , you know?” Reno replied with a shrug. “For real though, you look like you’re packing kinda heavy?”

“Umm, yes… I don’t know how long I’ll be gone,” Tifa told him, beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable standing in the middle of the path with two Turks at six in the morning. As though he could sense her discomfort, Rude cleared his throat and tilted his head to the side where a 24-hour diner lay.

“Have you had breakfast yet?” the bald Turk questioned lowly, and Tifa’s mind went to the pack of granola bars she carried in her pack. She was about to refuse when she realized that she wasn’t really in any hurry. An unfamiliar feeling. A slow smile grew on her face.

“Are you buying?” she asked teasingly. She could have sworn she saw the corner of his mouth twitch, but she wasn’t positive. He was much harder to read that most people she had met.

“Reno is,” Rude replied without missing a beat. Reno snorted and turned towards the diner, muttering something about ‘owing him one.’ Rude inclined his head and motioned for Tifa to follow, and she gave him a brief smile as she entered the diner. They were sat at a corner booth by a middle-aged waitress who was obviously familiar with the pair. After ordering their meals—Tifa opting for a veggie omelet with toast—Reno relaxed into the leather backrest and turned his gaze back to her.

“So… what’s up?”

She took a moment to sip at her coffee, wondering how much to tell the two Turks. True, they had once been enemies, but after working together to defeat the remnants and later Chaos, things were stable between them. The pair, as well as Elena, Tseng and Reeve, had often dropped by after missions for drinks at her bar. Her former bar. 

She could admit to being curious about the pair. Reno she thought she had a bit of a read on, but his partner… now that one drew her interest. Tifa decided to take a risk and opted for the truth.

Their meals had arrived by the time that she had finished telling them about her decision, and the only interruption was when Reno lamented the fact that he’d have to find somewhere else to get the best drinks.

“And… yeah, that’s about it. I’m headed to Kalm first. I guess I’ll make a decision on where to go after that when I get there,” Tifa concluded, taking a bite from the corner of her square of toast. They were silent for a few moments while they all began eating their respective breakfasts, until Reno spoke up once more.

“So um, and you can _totally_ tell me to fuck off if this is pushing it, but… what about Cloud?” Reno asked, his cheeks stuffed full of pancakes. Tifa choked slightly at his words, but she was already shaking her head as she took a quick drink of water to clear her throat.

“He’s taking the business mobile. Actually answering his phone now, and he’ll be in Corel during his down time so he can see the kids,” Tifa replied, noting the way that Reno’s brow rose.

“But aren’t you two like… together?” he asked, and Tifa couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter that burst from her. A while ago, that question would have been like a knife to the chest. Thankfully, she had gotten over Cloud a long time ago. The Turks shared a glance at her reaction, Reno grinning at her almost gleefully.

“No,” Tifa chuckled, returning her attention back to her meal. “No, we’ve always been friends, family now. Nothing more.” She was proud of the fact that those words made her feel content. After a brief moment of silence, she glanced up once more just in time to catch Reno and Rude staring at each other as if they could communicate telepathically. There were subtle shifts in their expressions, but they didn’t say a word, and Tifa felt her brow raising at the strange interaction.

“Do you two need a moment alone?” Tifa teased, and while Reno immediately smirked at her, Rude went slightly red.

“Wouldn’t mind you watching, Lockhart,” Reno purred, and before Tifa could look too far into the meaning behind those words, the red head gave a sigh and stood. “Just messing with you. We’re pretty much family too. Gotta pay up, be right back.” She shook her head as she finished the last few bites, and then looked up to see Rude lean forward slightly towards her.

“I know you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself, but would you like to exchange numbers? In case you ever need a hand?” Rude asked her, and Tifa knew she wasn’t imagining the dark flush on his cheeks. It immediately brought back the memory of something she’d tried _very_ hard to forget in the early days of their journey.

_“Hey, Rude. Who do you like?” the heard him ask, and before Tifa could turn to get Cloud’s attention Aerith grabbed her by the wrist, her grip surprisingly strong for such a delicate girl. Tifa snapped her head to look at her, wondering if there was another threat, but Aerith just put her finger to her lips, mischief dancing in her eyes._

_“What are you getting so embarrassed about? Come on, who do you like?” the red head, Reno, asked again. There was a brief pause before a reply came._

_“…Tifa.”_

_She felt like her face was on fire as Aerith covered her mouth with her hand, her emerald eyes glittering. Tifa hadn’t found it funny at all, and she had taken more than one hit from Reno’s mag rod for her inattention during their ensuing fight._

_But it didn’t escape her notice that, though he had had the chance more than once, Rude never struck her. Never even tried. And that night at camp, when Aerith whispered reminders in her ear and Yuffie giggled about how hot it was that that he never removed his shades, Tifa had considered herself slightly flattered that there was someone out there that wanted her._

She wondered a few times when she had seen them years later if he still harbored… feelings. Were they ever feelings? Or was it just a simple crush? She admitted to herself that she found him… intriguing. And she _really_ wanted to see what he looked like without those sunglasses…

Sensing that she had paused a bit too long, Tifa cleared her throat and averted her eyes, rummaging through her pocket and pulling out her PHS. She ignored the way that her face felt hot at recalling those memories.

“Actually, that sounds like a good idea. I imagine the only person who could bail me out of a tough spot quicker than the Turks is Cid,” Tifa said, and Rude hummed softly as she handed him her phone. He quickly entered his information and handed it back to her.

“I put mine and Reno’s numbers in,” he told her, and she gave him a smile as she tucked it back into her pocket.

“Thank you…” Tifa replied, and then something suddenly popped into her mind, a possibility, one that she didn’t really wish to waste. “Um, would it be okay if I sent you a message sometime? Or is your number just for emergencies?” she asked, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she waited for his reply.

She was pretty sure that all those years of randomly wondering if he ever thought of her was what put the urge into her mind, and although she was slightly anxious about his reply, she didn’t regret it. She’d made the mistake of not speaking up too many times in her life to fall prey to that again.

Rude looked surprised for a fraction of a second, and then his mouth twitched again, noticeable to her this time, and the Turk nodded once.

“You can… message me anytime,” he told her, his voice steady and low, and Tifa ducked her head as she fought to hide her smile. She didn’t know what would come out of something like sharing messages with the Turk—if anything—but it felt exhilarating to have the possibility.

“Well, we better get to it. Lockhart, always a pleasure,” Reno said as he returned, pulling her from her thoughts, and Tifa shouldered her pack as she stood.

“Thank you for breakfast. I’m… glad we ran into each other,” Tifa replied, looking to Rude as she finished. The bald Turk nodded in agreement as he straightened his tie, and Reno’s eyes flitted between them for a moment before his PHS rang from his pocket.

“Speak of the devil,” he muttered, and they bid each other goodbye as Tifa turned back towards the outskirts and the Turks moved to go deeper into Edge. After a moment she looked back over her shoulder, and her heart seemed to skip a beat when she noticed Rude doing the same.

This time, the smile on his face was unmistakable before he got lost in the waking crowds headed for work. She found she couldn’t stop the matching smile that pulled at her lips as she turned back and continued on.

What an interesting start to this new journey of hers. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) :) :)  
> Comment and critique are always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa exchanges messages with Rude and spends time with Elmyra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another building chapter. A tiny bit of romantic progress.

Elmyra had been overjoyed to see her. She welcomed Tifa warmly into her home, tutting when the fighter mentioned that she would stop by the inn before it got too late.

“Nonsense! You’ll stay with me. For however long you wish,” Elmyra insisted, and then proceeded to order her around her kitchen as they made dinner together over seemingly non-stop conversation. Tifa realized with a pang that she had waited far too long to visit again. The mother of her previous best friend had to be very lonely.

But she was here now. And she’d make the best of it for them both.

That night, when they spoke of Aerith, it wasn’t in quiet, careful tones and guarded words. They laughed as Elmyra told her about the mischief she used to get up to as a child. And when Tifa told her about how she slipped dismounting her chocobo and the butt of her pretty pink dress got covered in mud, the older woman nearly snorted into her tea.

“Not the most athletic of creatures, was she?”

“No… it was so strange though, how she could be both graceful and clumsy all at once,” Tifa mused, smiling fondly as her fingers traced the subtle grooves of Elmyra’s kitchen table. The older woman hummed in agreement and then gave a lengthy sigh.

“Well… it is much past my bedtime. You’re going to spoil me with those special pancakes in the morning, you hear me?” Elmyra ordered with a tired smile. Tifa nodded with a chuckle, and they quickly took care of their dishes and said their goodnights.

She was more than content as she slipped out of the warm shower and into her nightclothes. Being around Elmyra was so… comforting. Like a piece of her own mother was given back to her. They both knew that Tifa enjoyed cooking, and so it was left to her to plan their meals for however long she stayed. Tifa would have to go to the grocer tomorrow to gather what she needed for the next few days, and she looked forward to cooking in a more intimate setting that when she did for the bar.

With a happy sigh, Tifa slipped into her bed and reached over to the nightstand to plug in the charger for her PHS. She had her fingers around the lamp switch, prepared to shut it off, when she suddenly froze, recalling the events of that morning.

It wasn’t very late yet…

Tifa bit her lip, considering, and then grabbed her phone and laid back against the headboard. She tapped down through her contacts until she found his name, and then debated for almost a full minute about what to write.

_Hey, it’s Tifa. Hope whatever you guys got up to today went well._

Well… as an opener, it may have lacked excitement, but Tifa didn’t have much experience with this. 

She nearly jumped when her phone buzzed, and she quickly swiped her finger across the screen to read the message.

_Rude: Mission successful. You’re in Kalm then?_

Her fingers flew across the screen as a stupid grin split her face.

_Yes, staying with a friend. Not sure how long, but I’m not in much of a hurry at the moment. Can you tell me about your… mission? I understand if you can’t._

_Rude: We looked into some reports of instability in a few of the buildings in eastern Edge. Damage from the Deepground attack. The engineers are on it, and we aided in the evac of the families in the danger zone. Rufus is putting them up in one of the hotels._

Tifa smiled gently at the message, glad that the former president had kept his word when he said he would do everything he could to make up for Shinra’s mistakes. She still wasn’t fond of him at all; being stuck in that chair while the chamber filled with gas occasionally slipped into her nightmares. But she could appreciate his shift in character for the sakes of those he helped.

 _That’s good of him. And you._ She paused, unsure of what to say. Or how to say it… With a sigh, Tifa continued, that nervous feeling from the morning returning. _I was wondering… when I make my way back to Edge, or if we’re in the same place at the same time, would you like to have dinner with me?_ She snapped her phone down onto her chest the moment the message was sent, bringing her fingers up to press against her burning cheeks. Shit. _Shit_. She really just did it.

Oh god. What if it had been just a stupid crush that he’d grown bored of? It was long enough before he replied for Tifa to feel her anxiousness rise to dangerous levels, and her fingers trembled as she opened the message.

 _Rude: I would like that very much._ Tifa made a sound that a twenty-five-year-old woman just shouldn’t make, and then continued reading as another message popped up. _We don’t travel as much as we used to, but I’ll let you know._

 _I’ll keep in contact. Goodnight, Rude._ Tifa smiled, no longer feeling tired, and proceeded to write delayed messages to Marlene and Denzel, letting them know where she was and programming them to send at 8am Corel-Time. She had just finished when a message from Rude appeared, making her smile once again.

_Rude: Goodnight, Tifa._

* * *

She couldn’t help but hum to herself as she made her way through Elmyra’s kitchen the following morning, the radio playing quietly enough that it wouldn’t wake the woman sleeping upstairs. When she had eventually fallen asleep she had been fortunate enough to dream of happy things: Aerith and herself on chocobos, the wind in their hair as they giggled together. Early mornings with her mother and father, their kitchen window open to let in the fresh morning air while they ate together. 

And then a smile. Sent her way over a navy-clad shoulder, its owner’s eyes hidden from her curious eyes.

“And just what has you I such a good mood this early in the morning?”

Tifa spun with a squeak, batter from her spatula arcing across the counter as she moved. Elmyra was leaning against the entry to the kitchen, watching her with a knowing gleam in her eyes. It took only a moment for Tifa to turn away, biting her lip as she flipped the pancake currently on the griddle and wiped at the small mess she had made.

“Well… I may have asked someone on a date last night… and they may have said yes,” Tifa said casually, before peeking over her shoulder. Elmyra’s eyes widened, but Tifa could see the happiness there.

“Don’t stop there sweetheart, tell me more! Do I know him?” Elmyra asked, and Tifa felt a shiver of fear crawl down her spine. _Of course_ she would know him. She hadn’t even considered…

“Um… well, you do know him actually…” she began, and Elmyra’s eyes softened as she entered the kitchen fully. She grabbed Tifa gently by the shoulders and turned her around, meeting her eyes.

“You’re worried what I’ll think?” Tifa nodded, her throat feeling tight. “I think that you’re a smart girl. A caring girl. And I think if this person makes you happy, then that’s all you need.” Tifa opened her mouth, prepared to defend her decision, but Elmyra shook her head, and she chuckled at herself as the older woman’s arms dropped away.

“We haven’t really set anything in stone yet. Just talking… well, sending messages through the PHS,” she said, and then turned to drop the last pancake on the plate. They moved to the table in silence, and Tifa knew that Elmyra wouldn’t push her if she didn’t want her to. But Tifa also understood that if there was any chance that this… _thing_ would go anywhere, then she was going to have to prepare for uncomfortable conversations.

“It’s Rude,” she blurted, her fork hovering over her meal.

“What’s rude?” Elmyra replied, and Tifa let out a snort.

“No, it’s Rude. The Turk…” she said, and Elmyra froze.

“Oh…” she said, focusing on her plate for a moment, and Tifa quickly took a bite of her food, though her appetite had all but disappeared. “I suppose I understand your reluctance to talk about it.”

“I… I know they’ve hurt people. A lot of people. But doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?” Tifa asked, feeling frustration rising in her for reasons she couldn’t quite understand.

“Tifa, sweetheart, I’m not judging you. And honestly, if you’ve gotta go for a Turk, I actually liked Rude,” Elmyra said, and Tifa’s eyes snapped up to regard her in surprise. Hope burst in her chest, and she allowed herself to smile back. “Yes, you heard me. He was always so respectful, and never tried to push us around or intimidate us. A real gentleman.” Tifa chuckled and nodded, returning to her meal as her stomach seemed to settle a bit.

“We fought against the Turks during our hunt for Sephiroth a handful of times. He never tried to engage me. Or Aerith, either. And… well, it was hard not to admire how well he fought. No sword, no gun… just his body,” Tifa mused, smiling slightly. She had a true respect for his martial arts skill. Though, she was pretty sure she could still take him one-on-one if he ever deigned to truly fight her.

“It is a nice body.”

Tifa nearly choked on her coffee, and Elmyra’s knowing cackle only served to cause her more distress as she caught herself between laughing and coughing for a long moment. When she had finally recovered, Tifa couldn’t help but look at her with wide eyes.

“Elmyra!”

“What? I’m old, not dead. I can admire a finely muscled man when I see one,” she argued with a wink, and as they laughed together in Elmyra’s homey kitchen, Tifa once more felt utterly grateful for the amazing people in her life. Everything might not be perfect, but it would be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things won't always go so well, but I think that Elmyra would be supportive.  
> Comments and critiques are always appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little Reno & Rude POV

Something was up.

He knew his partner better than anyone, and though he retained his typically stoic expression, to Reno, Rude was practically skipping around the office with joy. His shoulders were loose and relaxed. His jaw wasn’t clenched at all, and he caught him slipping his hand into his pocket (where he knew he kept his phone) enough times to be suspicious. It wasn’t until their lunch break that he decided to see what was up, though he already had an inkling...

“So… how’s Lockhart?” Reno asked nonchalantly as he tossed a chip into his mouth. Rude cleared his throat, his eyes never leaving the wrap in his hands, but didn’t answer. He didn’t _really_ need to, but Reno was more than a little curious. He had known that the two fighters had exchanged numbers over their breakfast a few days ago, and every day since Rude’s mood had steadily grown more light.

Reno actually _liked_ Tifa too. And he didn’t like many people. But after Meteorfall, whenever they’d make their way to her bar (and _damn_ , but where the hell was he supposed to get a good drink now?) she had always treated them like… people. Not Turks. Not that he really minded that, but… it was nice to have someone see them, know them, and not be afraid or resentful.

He could tell that when she smiled and chatted with them, it was genuine. She actually _cared_.

No wonder Rude still had it bad.

“C’mon man, I’m not digging for anything you don’t wanna give me, but give me _something_. Gonna start calling you ‘Sunshine’ with this little glow you got going on,” Reno continued as he wiggled his fingers towards his partner, leaning back in his chair and taking a too-big bite of his sandwich. Rude’s lips twitched, and Reno couldn’t help but feel a wash of excitement.

Yeah, something was definitely up.

“We’ve been… messaging,” Rude allowed, and Reno sprang forward, his elbows connecting with the table so hard that his partner had to steady his cup of water.

“Yeah? Like, what kind of messages?”

“…not the kind you’re thinking of. It’s… new,” Rude continued, focused on his lunch. Reno slowly returned to his lounging position, brushing absently at the crumbs on his chest as he considered his partner.

Most people described Rude as taciturn. Some who though they knew him called him shy. But Reno knew that he just didn’t like to drop words unnecessarily. Maybe this… _messaging thing_ he had with Lockhart was a good start. He could say what he meant, build something, and the next time they saw each other…

He was protective of his partner. They were all protective of each other, the Turks. But Reno also knew that Lockhart was probably the best match for him that he could ever find. She cared, and she wouldn’t be cruel or try to trick him into anything. Didn’t hurt that she was a freaking knockout in the looks department. And Rude had harbored feeling for her for _so damn long_. 

“You uh, got any plans to see her again?” he asked casually, resting a leg on the edge of the table.

“Hm, nothing scheduled. If we’re in the same place at the same time… she asked if I wanted to go to dinner with her,” Rude replied quietly, and Reno nearly fell out of his chair as he straightened.

“My man!” He lifted his hand for a high-five, and Rude’s lips twitched as he unenthusiastically mirrored the gesture. Reno slapped his partner’s palm, a shit-eating grin on his face, and then he proceeded to spend the rest of their lunch break reminiscing about all the times they’d fought Lockhart and the others during their hunt for Sephiroth.

Remembering that tiny skirt and short white top certainly put him in an excellent mood for the day.

* * *

He had just finished going through the motions of his final kata when he heard his phone chime from across the room. Straightening, Rude strode over towards the shelf he’d set his gear on, rolling his shoulders back and wiping the sweat from his forehead.

He enjoyed using the training rooms at the office, but there was something about having his own at-home gym that made his workouts more effective. He draped a towel around his shoulders and reached for his phone, warmth spreading through him when he read the name of the sender.

There was a picture attached, and he opened it first.

Tifa’s lovely face smiled up at him, her arm outstretched overhead to hold her camera, and Rude could see that she rode a glossy black chocobo. Its bright, intelligent eyes were also looking at the camera, but he couldn’t be bothered to spend much time admiring the bird. Her dark hair streamed through the air behind her, and the happy gleam in her wine-colored eyes made him sigh like an idiot.

Of course, he had always known she was beautiful. It was the first thing he had noticed about her so long ago, when he’d been detailed to build dossiers on the suspected members of AVALANCHE. He’d seen beautiful women before, but there was something about her that stuck in his mind.

And then he’d seen her fight.

He had recognized the Zangan style immediately, and he knew how difficult it was to master. But when Tifa fought, it was almost like dancing. Deceptively powerful, lightning-fast, and incredibly efficient. He, more than most, could fully appreciate how talented she really was. The fact that her body was stunning to look at was an added benefit, a side-effect from her dedication to her training.

He had been smitten.

Surveillance was a well-honed skill of his, and he may have put a bit more effort into his surveillance of her than was professionally necessary. And he had discovered… that she was uncommonly kind, but tough. No nonsense when it mattered or came to unruly customers, yet the way she played and giggled with Wallace’s little girl before opening hours at her original bar almost made him smile along with them.

Rude knew himself well enough to know that he’d always have a soft spot for her, enemy or not. He made sure to focus on her comrades whenever they engaged in battle, the thought of striking her making him sick. It had been a struggle to maintain his professionalism, and he had dreaded the day that he might have no choice but to hurt her. And he would have. He would always do his job.

Thankfully, that day had never come. And now…

He moved onto the message, quickly saving the photo she had sent him to his device. _Tifa: Just arrived at Fort Condor. I think I’ll stay here for the night, then head to Junon tomorrow morning. How was your day?_

_Rude: Fine. Paperwork. You made good time. How was your ride?_

_Tifa: Good! This is Dahlia, she’s quite the climber. We went over the mountains instead of through the caves, so it didn’t take long._

Rude lowered himself to the mats, stretching as he rapidly typed his reply. He looked forward to their daily messages more than he wanted to admit.

_Rude: I’ve heard about chocobos like that, but I’ve only seen a green one once. I used to ride quite a bit when I was young, but they were all standard yellows._

_Tifa: I’d never ridden one until we left Midgar to chase after Sephiroth. Where did you grow up that you were able to ride?_

_Rude: Kalm. My neighbor was a breeder, took trips to the Chocobo Farm every weekend and sometimes I’d convince him to let me join. My parents died when I was ten, and I moved to Midgar after that. Haven’t ridden since._

He’d never spoken to anyone about his parents who didn’t already know. Rude felt a bit… apprehensive about sharing such information, but he trusted Tifa. A strange feeling. He’d trusted a woman with his feelings once, a long time ago, and he’d paid for it. He knew that Tifa was different, but the anxiety still bubbled in the bottom of his stomach as he sent the message.

_Tifa: I’m so sorry. Do you have any other family?_

_Rude: The Turks._

_Tifa: Yeah, I know how that is._ And he knew that she did. He was well aware of how she’d lost her family young, and the connections she still had to her comrades. They were very much alike, in many ways. _Well, I’ve got Dahlia stabled and set for the day. I’m going to head up to the reactor now. I’ll talk to you soon._

_Rude: Have a good night._

_Tifa: You too._

He set his phone aside and continued moving through his stretches, not bothering to restrain the smile on his face. To say he had been surprised when Tifa had actually asked if she could message him was an understatement. He hadn’t missed the way her cheeks had reddened, or the hopeful look in her eyes, though for a moment he thought it may have been wishful thinking.

But then she’d followed through, and even more, asked _him_ out to dinner.

Rude wasn’t sure what it was that made a woman like Tifa look his way, but he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. Tseng and Elena had mentioned traveling with Rufus to Junon for a survey of the continued reconstruction of the lower city. Maybe he could find a way to hint that he and Reno should go along too…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)  
> Comments and critique are welcome!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa arrives in Junon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this one!

She could smell the sea before she saw it. The salt and the 

Smiling down at her mount, Tifa slowed Dahlia and began gently running her fingers through the glossy black feathers along her neck and causing the chocobo to coo in pleasure. She was such a good girl, and Tifa had been the one to raise her from a chick so long ago. She only raced with Tifa too, and they’d formed a powerful bond over the years.

She had felt apprehensive about sending the picture to Rude; the only people she’d ever exchanged pictures with were Marlene and Yuffie. But now she found herself seeing sights along the way that she had wanted to share with him, and Tifa told herself that the next time she saw something worthwhile, she’d send him a picture.

“We’re almost there girl. I’m sure there’s a stable full of tasty greens just waiting for you,” Tifa told her, and the chocobo chirped happily, as though she could understand her words. They had made good time—they always did, with the speed Dahlia was capable of—and it wasn’t quite noon as they entered the outskirts of Junon.

The city had changed so much.

There was greenery again, with trees and potted plants everywhere, and the entire cityscape had been altered. There was no longer a division in quality between upper and lower Junon. All of the buildings were well cared for and maintained, and Tifa could see even from here that the sea looked clearer than ever.

The planet and the people were both healing, it seemed. _Oh Aerith, I wish you were here to see all that you’ve made possible._

After exchanging pleasantries with one of the stable hands she was directed to the far set of stalls, and took her time caring for Dahlia. The ebony bird preened and ruffled her feathers for a moment, before she became distracted by the fresh greens provided for her.

“Silly girl,” Tifa chuckled, giving her one final scratch behind the ears before she slipped her pack back on and departed. She planned to grab a room at the inn first, then lunch, and then see if she could find Priscilla and her family. She ran her finger across the glimmering red materia in her bracelet, recalling receiving the summon from the little girl after they had rescued her.

It had felt… _good_ to be able to help her. Not for the planet. Not to stop Sephiroth. Just to help save the life of a little girl they didn’t even know. After everything that they had lost, and their frantic flight from Midgar, they had all needed that burst of goodness that came from saving something.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the clearing of a throat a few feet ahead of her, and when Tifa’s eyes snapped up she froze in surprise.

It was Rude, standing in front of her with his arms held loosely behind his back. He looked the same as always.

Dark, neatly pressed suit perfectly tailored to his athletic physique. Eyes hidden by his sunglasses, and his expression as unreadable as ever. She felt a burst of happiness at seeing him there, and a bright smile spread on her face.

“Rude! Hi, what are you doing here?” she asked, walking quickly to stand before him. He cleared his throat, dropping his chin slightly to address her.

“…I sent you a message,” the Turk replied, and Tifa chuckled, pulling her phone from her pocket to see that she had two missed texts.

“Oh… I was riding, I forgot to check,” she said, and apologetic expression on her face as she looked back up to him. It was… different now, being this close. After all of their communications and allowing herself to be open to having new feelings for someone, this was entirely new to her, and Tifa wasn’t quite sure how to act.

“It’s fine. It was last minute,” Rude replied. He shuffled his feet slightly, and Tifa had a though that she perhaps wasn’t the only one who didn’t quite know what to do in this situation. The realization had the strange effect of giving her back a grip on her confidence.

“Well, I’m glad we caught up with each other then. I was going to check into the inn, but I can do that later. Would you like to come grab lunch with me?” she asked, and was pleasantly surprised when Rude didn’t try to hide his small smile as he nodded to her. And then, in a gesture she’d never been presented with before, Rude shifted and smoothly offered her his arm.

Tifa had to bite her lip to contain her smile as she slipped her arm around his, taking a brief moment to appreciate the firmness of the muscles beneath the smooth material of his suit.

_Down girl._

“Thank you,” she said softly, and she thought she saw his brow furrow behind his glasses.

“Of course,” Rude replied, leading her further into Junon.

“How long are you here for?” she asked.

“Two nights, we leave in the morning after that. Headed to Costa with Rufus. He’s… taking a break,” Rude told her, and Tifa grinned.

“Well, that’s fortunate, I’m heading to Costa too. Are you… going to be working most of the time?” she asked, trying not to give away too much. It was more than enough that she got to see him, especially with this being so new, but Tifa couldn’t help but be excited about the prospect of the two of them spending more time together.

“I might have a day or two off. Plenty of time for that dinner, if it’s still on the table?” Rude replied, glancing down at her. This close to him, she realized how much bigger than her he was. The top of her head barely came to his shoulders… a part of her was _really_ interested in what a spar between the two of them would look like.

“It’s definitely still on the table. I’ve been looking forward to it,” Tifa told him, nodding her head when he indicated to a nearby café. They entered and were seated, taking their time with the menus before ordering and returning their attention to each other.

“So, what are you up to in Junon? Or is that ‘classified?’” Tifa teased, running her fingers around the rim of her water glass. Rude exhaled through his nose, the closest she had heard to a laugh from him, and shook his head.

“We don’t really do ‘classified’ anymore. Rufus is checking through the new construction for Reeve, going over reports, taking tours. Tseng and Elena are with him, Reno is coming in later tonight,” Rude explained, and Tifa couldn’t help but smile at him. That was probably the most he’d spoken to her in one go since they’d known each other.

“So, you get the day off?”

“Mm-hm. Reno and I are on tomorrow,” he answered, and then cleared his throat in somewhat of a nervous manner before continuing. “I may have arrived a little early.”

Tifa immediately caught onto what he didn’t say, knowing that he intended her to understand. That he had showed up early in the hopes that she would be in town sometime today. Rude came ahead of schedule just so that he could see her. He came for her.

It made her feel indescribably good.

“I’m glad you did.”

Their food arrived before they could talk more, and there was a comfortable silence between them while they ate. She appreciated that about him; that they didn’t have to say anything and it wasn’t at all awkward. Tifa took a moment to reflect and consider everything she knew about him.

It wasn’t much.

He was always quiet, even in battle, and had an impressive amount of control over his emotions. But she’d seen enough of his personality that she knew there was a dry humored man there too. Rude was a skilled fighter, something she could respect more than most, and even behind those sunglasses he was easy on the eyes. She admired the way that he and the others that had survived Shinra’s fall were working to right their wrongs.

She knew intimately about wanting redemption.

They spoke casually about themselves, questioning and learning. Tifa discovered that Rude also enjoyed cooking, and that Reno was actually a better chef than he was. She told him about her love of playing piano, and how she had wished that she could have spent more time in Wutai during their journey. They shared details about their respective fighting styles and by the time the waitress had made her fifth or so stop to ask them _if there was anything else they needed, really,_ it was nearly three in the afternoon.

Rude waited patiently while Tifa checked in at the hotel, depositing her bag in the safe in the room before rejoining him just outside. They stood there together for a moment, unsure of how to proceed, and then Tifa bravely reached out and took his hand. She could tell she had surprised him by the way he froze for a fraction of a second, and then his fingers moved to lace warmly through hers.

They started walking simultaneously, though Tifa wasn’t sure where they were headed, but she took a moment to enjoy the presence of the man beside her. The butterflies in her stomach were new, but not unwelcome. She’d had a few boyfriends in Nibelheim before… well, before. But she’d only kissed two of them. And then after… well, she had other things on her mind.

The pair made their way through Junon, apparently sharing their current heading towards the sea. The first thing Tifa noticed was how clear the water was now. The first time they had come to Junon it had been a sort of sickly gray-green with no bottom in sight. But now the ocean was crystal clear, glimmering brightly from the overhead sun, and Tifa couldn’t help but sight happily at the sight. It drew Rude’s attention, and he raised his brow over the rim of his glasses as they sat down on an empty bench at the edge of the beach.

“Guessing you haven’t been here in a while?” he asked her, and Tifa nodded. She leaned back, pulling their joined hands into her lap and searching Rude’s familiar callouses on the ridges of his knuckles with her fingers. Fighter’s fists. It felt comforting to find it in another.

“Sephiroth hunting. This whole place was… it was just sad. I’m glad to see it’s recovering,” Tifa replied. Rude gave a quiet hum of agreement and followed her gaze out to the sea.

It was peaceful.

The breeze felt good on her skin, his hand was warm in hers, and Tifa couldn’t recall the last time she had felt so content.

“I like the sea. Always have,” Rude said softly, breaking the silence and drawing her attention back to him. He huffed lightly and glanced back to her with a small smile. “Never really just sat and enjoyed it though.”

“Yeah… I’m still getting used to… taking my time. My life has always been ‘go-go-go’ and it’s… nice… to take a moment for myself,” Tifa said. Rude was quiet for a moment, and then lifted their joined hands slightly.

“Is that what this is?” he asked, and Tifa sensed that he wasn’t using it as an accusation. He was genuinely curious about her motivations in pursuing him. She sighed deeply and shifted on the bench, facing him fully.

“In a way, I suppose it is. I… I don’t really have any experience with this,” she admitted, mimicking his movement of lifting their hands, “but I know that I don’t play games. I… I know we don’t know each other very well. But I like you. And I’d like to see where this could go.”

It was as honest as she could be, all cards on the table. She felt simultaneously afraid and satisfied, allowing herself to be so vulnerable. No more holding back. No more wasted chances.

Rude’s expression was unreadable—glasses or no—and after a long moment he straightened and shifted to face her as well. Tifa’s breath caught when he lifted his free hand to remove his shades, and she could barely contain her excitement at learning what lay beneath.

His brows were thin, almost delicate, and they lay over the most beautiful hazel eyes that she had ever seen. And then Tifa realized why he always wore the glasses. She could see everything in his eyes, and Tifa wasn’t really sure if he was allowing her to or if they were just that expressive. There was nervousness there to mirror her own, shifting to determination as he took a breath to speak.

“You know more about me than most. The things I’ve done. I don’t have a reliable schedule. And I’m not interested in any job but this one. But I can promise you loyalty. I’ll never hurt you. I’ll never betray you. And if I can’t tell you the truth about things, I won’t lie,” Rude declared, and Tifa realized that she had been holding her breath.

She exhaled sharply, smiling down at their joined hands and she fought the slight burning in her eyes. This was what she had always wanted. Being able to just _talk_ to someone and have them talk back to her. No barriers, no words left unspoken, no fumbling with what they wanted to say. And he had given it to her _so easily_.

Looking back up at him, Tifa couldn’t help but admire his entire face, now that it was available to see. She wondered if it was her growing infatuation that made him even more handsome to her eyes now, or if she was truly just seeing him for the first time. She enjoyed the way his bottom lip was fuller than the top, and the perfect symmetry of his goatee. The whirls of beige and green in his captivating eyes.

“That sounds pretty good to me,” Tifa finally replied, her voice quiet and soft, and Rude gave her a soft smile. His eyes never left hers as he leaned forward, causing her heart to pound and her mouth to go dry in anticipation. He paused though, a few inches from her, and it took Tifa a moment to realize that he was making sure it was what she wanted. He was letting her choose.

She didn’t hesitate.

Tifa closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his.

They were warm, like his hand still clasped in hers, and much softer than she thought they would be. She felt his fingertips brush against her cheek, feather soft, and their lips moved together sweetly. It was everything a first kiss between two people should be. Just enough to tell her that there was definitely chemistry between them, but not pushing too much too fast. It was brief—no more than a few seconds—but she couldn’t help but smile happily when they broke apart. 

Rude ran his thumb across the curve of her cheek as they shared a breath, and then slowly leaned back enough to look at her with a small smile. They didn’t say anything as he settled back on the bench, Tifa shifting to press against his side and rest her head against his shoulder. They just enjoyed each other’s company while they watched the waves roll in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some romance for ya! ;)  
> Comments and critique are always welcome!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Turk time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing the rest of the Turks.

It took every ounce of training Rude had not to walk around with a stupid grin on his face that night. He and Tifa had enjoyed the sea for long enough that they had both grown hungry again. Before they could make further plans, Reno had sent him a message announcing his arrival, and Rude had needed to excuse himself. That Tifa had given him a kiss on the cheek along with her goodbye still made him smile.

Well… on the inside.

His time with her today had been much more than he ever could have hoped for. Everything he had really known about the fighter he had read in files or observed from across enemy lines. Rude was pleased to discover that she was just as kind and intelligent as he had suspected, and that they shared common interests aside from their similar fighting styles.

And then she had taken his hand and told him that she wanted to see where this could go, and he couldn’t help but kiss her. Rude would never forget that moment. She made it feel like he had fire in his chest, and though he had wanted to deepen the kiss, to taste her mouth and hold her to him, he had recalled what she had told him moments before.

_“I don’t really have any experience with this.”_

Rude knew it would have been… inappropriate to ask her to explain exactly what she meant at that time, but he was intensely curious. He wasn’t sure if she meant she’d no experience with talking about her feelings, or… no experience at all. And so he had held back, allowing her to dictate the intensity of the kiss, and he didn’t regret it.

Her reaction had said it all. The blush, the way she ducked her head… yes, Rude was sure that—against all odds and Reno’s bets—Tifa Lockhart was… inexperienced. He would have to be patient with her. Tifa was a woman who deserved patience.

Thankfully, that was a trait Rude possessed in spades.

“Hey man, Rufus wants us up in the lounge for drinks,” Reno said from across the room, breaking him from his thoughts, and Rude gave a hum and followed him into the elevator just as his PHS gave a buzz in his pocket. His partner was chewing his gum loudly—the lesser of his many annoying habits—and Rude took a moment to check his messages.

_Tifa: Thank you for today, I had a great time. Tell Reno I said hi. Goodnight._

He fought a smile as he typed a quick reply, sensing his partner’s gaze practically drilling a hole in the side of his head. Rude looked up to him as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, taking note of the excited gleam in his turquoise eyes.

“…Tifa says hi.”

His bright smile was genuine—it always was when Reno was around his friends and no one else—and he chuckled.

“Yeah? Things are going good there then?” Reno asked, pushing away from the wall of the elevator as it began to slow.

“Things are going good,” Rude confirmed, the pair exiting into the lounge of the Junon WRO headquarters to find the rest of their party already waiting for them. Elena and Tseng were still in uniform, just finishing their shift, and sat close to each other with open files on their laps upon the pale gray leather sectional in the center of the room, while Rufus took up the entire space of the loveseat opposite them.

His cane rested against the arm of the chair, and he gave the pair a nod as they moved into the room. He hadn’t needed the wheelchair for some time now, but Rufus’s physical condition would never fully recover.

“Grab a drink and join us. We were about to go over tomorrow’s schedule,” Rufus ordered, and the pair quickly obliged. Reno grabbed a beer for himself and Rude, and they took their place on the sectional across from Tseng and Elena, snatching up the two closed files sitting on the table. “We’ll start at nine, work our way top to bottom of the new administration levels,” Rufus continued, swirling the dark liquid in his tumbler.

Rude knew it was soda, that he wouldn’t be drinking with the rest of them ever again. The damage done to his body in the wake of Diamond Weapon’s attack had seen to that.

“So… how long do you think it’ll take?” Reno asked before taking a long swig from his beer.

“No more than three hours,” Tseng answered, swiping across his phone.

“And then we have to make an appearance at the Underwater Research Center. They wanted to give an update on where they’re at on the pollution efforts,” Rufus said.

“Looks like they’re working,” Elena chimed, raising her glass. They were quiet for a brief moment, and then the blonde Turk turned her gaze to Rude. “So… you left Edge pretty early. What have you been up to all day?” His first instinct was to remain silent, not entirely sure how this was going to play out, and Rude did just that while he gathered his thoughts. Feeling all eyes upon him, the fighter took a long, slow drink from his beer in an attempt to stall.

“Yeah partner, what did you do today? Meet anyone interesting?” Reno prodded, smirking at him as he leaned back into the cushions. Rude wanted to wipe that smirk off with his fist. Well, may as well get it over with.

“… spent the day with Tifa.” There was a moment of silence, and then Elena sprang forward, her eyes wide.

“Tifa _Lockhart_?” she exclaimed, and Reno huffed derisively.

“Do we know any other Tifa’s?” he drawled sarcastically, earning him a glare from the blonde.

“Are you dating her?” Tseng asked before Elena could snap back at Reno. Well… Rude knew that this would come up sooner or later. At least he trusted everyone in this room not to use the information against him. He gave a single nod in response, which Tseng mirrored before returning to his drink.

“Oh… well… I thought she was with Strife?” Elena said, her eyes still wide and cautious as she looked back at Rude.

“Nope. We missed the mark on that one. Apparently, they were never together,” Reno answered, wiggling his eyebrows at his partner. “Chocobo-headed idiot never made a move on that.”

“Hmm… I like Tifa,” Elena said quietly, and Reno chuckled.

“Everyone likes Tifa. She’s an easy person to like,” the red head mused, and Rude couldn’t help but nod.

“Invite her to join us tomorrow, if she likes. As someone who once fought for the welfare of planet, she may enjoy hearing about the progress we are making to help it heal,” Rufus interjected, raising a brow in Rude’s direction.

He knew it wasn’t as simple as that. With Rufus it rarely was. The man always had his own motives. That wasn’t to say that he wasn’t serious about the work they were doing now. The former president had definitely made a massive shift in priorities, abandoning all forms of public spotlight and attempts at reclaiming his reputation.

Rufus was truly making amends to those Shinra had wronged.

“I’ll call her in the morning,” Rude told him, and Rufus nodded his head with a small smile. As they continued to plan and prepare, he couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous about the following day. She could very well refuse Rufus’s invitation, and he wouldn’t blame her. She had been cordial with all of them in the last few years, but Tifa’s life had been torn apart by Shinra more than once.

He hoped, for both their sakes, that they would be able to find some sort of middle ground when it came to their history. Now that he had her, Rude in no way wanted to lose her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and critique are always welcome!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa takes a tour of the new WRO facility, and tries to play nice with the man who tried to have her executed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some stuff goes down...

Tifa had been quietly sipping her coffee on the hotel balcony when her PHS chimed, drawing the fighter from her appreciation of the dark waves rolling in below. She set down her cup and pulled out her phone, smiling when she saw the name on the screen.

_Rude: Are you awake?_

_Tifa: Yes, good morning._

She had just lifted her cup to take another drink when the phone rang, drawing a raised brow from her. Rude had never called her before…

“Hey, is everything okay?” Tifa answered, feeling suddenly concerned.

 _“Yes, I’m on the clock,_ ” came his reply, and Tifa chuckled.

“So, this is a work call?” she inferred, her curiosity increasing.

 _“Mm-hm. Rufus is touring the new department levels of the WRO building today. Wanted me to invite you to join us,”_ Rude replied, and Tifa froze. That was… definitely not what she had expected him to say.

“Oh… um, is this the kind of offer I shouldn’t refuse?” she asked carefully, feeling more than a little nervous about what his answer would be. She still wasn’t sure about Rufus Shinra. A part of her felt like she _had_ to hate him, after everything that had happened in her life. But Tifa also fully believed in second chances. Rude gave a soft huff before he replied, pulling her from her thoughts.

 _“No, it’s not like that. He’s still not used to people telling him ‘no,’ but there won’t be any… repercussions if you decline,_ ” Rude explained, and Tifa sighed, considering. She was curious about what kind of work the WRO was doing here, especially with someone like Shinra involved in the management. And although she knew he would be professional and aloof, the thought of spending more time with Rude was tempting.

“Alright. Where should I meet you?” Tifa said at last.

 _“Elena will meet you in the lobby. The tour will begin at nine,”_ Rude told her, and Tifa glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the wall. 7:33. Plenty of time. A small part of her wished there wasn’t.

“I’ll be there,” Tifa confirmed, and then there was a pause from him, before the sound of a quiet sigh came through. “What is it?” she asked, her brow furrowing.

_“I’ll be working. Rufus will be my priority. I don’t want you to feel—”_

“It’s okay. I wouldn’t ask you to neglect your job to pay attention to me. I promise I understand,” Tifa assured him, smiling softly. It was sweet that he was considering how she would feel, but Tifa could tell how important professionalism was to him.

_“Thank you. See you at nine.”_

“Okay. Bye.”

They hung up and Tifa took a moment to sigh deeply, holding her phone between her hands while she tried to mentally prepare for being face-to-face with Rufus Shinra for the first time since he had sentenced her to death.

* * *

She had brought her gloves.

Carefully concealed in the front pocket of her half duster, of course, but Tifa didn’t bother to hide her bracelet. Anyone who knew what to look for would notice the materia adorning the accessory, but considering who she was and who _he_ was, the fighter was sure that they’d let it pass.

Tifa could see Elena waiting behind the glass doors of the Junon WRO building; a broad, modern facility on the upper plateau where the base of the massive cannon used to rest. The blonde Turk had her hands together in front of her body, her expression blank, though she did offer Tifa a nod when the glass doors slid open and she entered the building.

“Good morning, Elena,” Tifa greeted, and she could see the blonde fight a smile.

“Good morning.”

“I thought you had the day off?” Tifa questioned as she was led to the nearby elevator. Elena gave her a raised brow, and Tifa chuckled.

“Not used to other people knowing things about you?” she teased, and Elena’s professional countenance finally broke. She chuckled, her eyes squinting with the emergence of a genuine smile. Elena tapped a button on the console and the elevator began to ascend.

“Well, I know you have access to inside knowledge now,” Elena drawled, and Tifa huffed.

“Don’t worry, I won’t use it against you,” she assured the Turk, and Elena smiled warmly at her.

“I believe you. Just… Rude really likes you. I mean, _a lot_. Be good to him,” Elena implored, and Tifa’s throat felt suddenly tight. It was obvious that the Turks really _were_ a family, and they cared about her. Tifa knew better than most that the bonds between chosen family could be incredibly powerful.

She reached out, gripping Elena’s wrist gently, and turned to look her in the eyes.

“I won’t hurt him. I don’t… it’s still… new. But I really like him too,” Tifa said, ducking her head as she felt her cheeks warm when the memory of their kiss on the beach played through her mind. She had found herself smiling uncontrollably during her dinner last night with Priscilla and the girl’s family whenever she recalled their shared moment earlier.

“Heh, you guys are cute. Hope you’re ready for Reno’s shit though. That idiot has no idea when to shut up,” Elena groused, and Tifa laughed.

“Can’t be worse than Cid. Or Yuffie. I love that girl, but sometimes I just wanted to tape her mouth shut,” the fighter said, and Elena’s eyes gleamed with mischief.

“We should lock the two of them in a room together. Give them a taste of their own medicine,” she said, smirking.

“Oh god. They’d either kill each other, or…”

“Or team up and become the most annoying creature we’ve ever encountered,” Elena finished, and they shared a laugh together. This was… nice. She’d never really spent time with Elena outside of serving her in the bar, but Tifa found herself liking the woman.

Before they could converse more, the elevator slowed and stopped, the doors opening with a soft ‘ding.’ Elena extended her hand, bidding her a quick goodbye, and Tifa entered the room. It was a rather large lounge, complete with pale gray leather furniture and silver and black accents, with floor to ceiling windows that overlooked lower Junon and the ocean beyond.

Her eyes found the three occupants of the room quickly; Reno and his shock of bright red hair, leaning back against a loveseat with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Rude stood slightly behind his boss, who was dressed in his typical white suit and leaning lightly on a glossy silver cane. He smiled at her as Tifa stepped forward, and she couldn’t tell if it was genuine or not.

“Miss Lockhart, thank you for joining us,” Rufus greeted her, his deep, smooth voice instantly irritating her. Damnit. She would have to watch herself today if only a few words brought her temper up.

“Thank you for the invitation,” Tifa replied, and then looked to Rude, giving him a warm, brief smile. He nodded in reply, and then Reno gave an amused snort.

“You guys are _so_ weird. Heya, Lockhart,” the red head said, waving two fingers at her.

“Hi, Reno,” Tifa replied, and then turned her attention back to Rufus. “So, where are we starting?” The former president hummed and stepped forward, and it didn’t escape Tifa’s notice that he relied heavily on his cane when he moved.

Cloud had told her quite a bit about Shinra and his physical condition after they had ended the remnants. How he was bound to a wheelchair, suffering from the combination of Geostigma and the injuries inflicted upon him by Diamond Weapon’s attack. That he was walking at all seemed to be quite a feat.

“The twenty-fifth floor. Please,” Rufus extended his hand as Reno hopped up and slipped behind her, opening the elevator doors. The four of them entered silently, with Rufus and Tifa towards the back. “We’ve been working to create new jobs and supporting existing trades. Being a port city, export and import are the primary sources of commerce.”

“And what about the more traditional trades? The fishermen and craftsmen?” Tifa asked, raising a brow at the man. Rufus smiled, nodding his head just as the elevator stopped and the Turks led them out. This new floor was much livelier than the last.

There were about a dozen people ambling about, all carrying tablets or files, though many of them seemed to freeze in place when they discovered who had joined them. A short, graying man with delicate glasses and a tablet clutched in his hands quickly approached, offering the group a short bow before clearing his throat.

“Mr. Shinra, thank you for joining us. Welcome to the department for fishing and industry,” the man said, and Rufus reached out to shake his hand.

“Mr. Lewis. Miss Lockhart has generously agreed to aid me in overseeing the progress of the new departments today. Any new developments to report?” Rufus asked, and Tifa had to suppress a sigh at the way the man’s eyes widened comically when her name was dropped.

She was fortunate enough to be spared a great deal of attention after Meteorfall due to the fact that Cloud’s appearance and fame were much more celebrated. Not many who knew of her knew what she actually looked like, but as soon as her name came up they were able to make the connection. Was this why he had asked her along? To help with PR?

“Ah, um, yes, sir. Yes, our hatchery has yielded an improvement to the population number of local species, particularly those that had been previously endangered. Here, sir, is our current model of the percentage increases,” Mr. Lewis spoke rapidly, leading them through the office to show a large chart that seemed to back up his claims.

Although she wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about the local wildlife, Tifa was able to keep up quite easily—running her own business for almost a decade meant that she had to educate herself in such things—and she was rather impressed with the way that the WRO was contributing to stimulating the local economy.

After, they continued to meet and receive reports from fellow departments heads, speaking about everything from funding promising biologists, improving shipping times and warehouse efficiency, and many other factors that not only benefited Junon, but all those affiliated with them.

She still didn’t care much for Rufus; the way that he spoke and his practiced air of superiority hadn’t abandoned him in his new pursuit of philanthropy. But Tifa was pretty sure that she could tolerate him.

Their tour finally ended and they retreated back to the lounge Tifa had first entered upon her arrival for lunch, which Rufus sent Reno and Rude out to retrieve. Now, alone with him, Tifa wondered more about his motivations for asking her to join him today.

“What is your opinion on the WRO’s progress here, Miss Lockhart?” Rufus questioned her, stepping closer and leaning on his cane. He rested his open hand on the back of the sofa, and Tifa could see the way that his hand trembled for a brief moment. Perhaps their tour had taken more energy than he had was letting on.

“It’s encouraging. Yuffie’s told me a bit about the work she’s done with Reeve and Vincent, but it’s nice to see tangible progress being made,” Tifa answered, folding her arms across her chest as she gazed out the window.

“Yes, we’ve either remodeled or replaced nearly every part of what was once upper Junon,” Rufus told her, a proud smile on his face. She remembered that smile, and the last time she had seen it, and couldn’t stop the words that came out of her mouth next.

“No more gas chamber then?”

Rufus’s smile froze, and Tifa felt her stomach drop. Damnit. She had been doing so well, and all it took was a few words to ruin whatever tentative peace they had between them. She sighed, reaching up to press her fingertips to her forehead.

“I’m sorry. That was… petty,” Tifa admitted, taking a deep breath before she dropped her hand and met his gaze again. He was quiet for a long moment, his smile long gone and his brow furrowed.

“Yet, not undeserved,” Rufus said slowly, and Tifa’s eyes widened slightly. That was… not what she had expected. “I have never apologized for the role I played in your near-execution,” he continued, and Tifa’s eyes narrowed. She wasn’t sure what he was getting at, and Tifa still couldn’t quite read the man.

“No… you haven’t. And I’m not interested in an apology unless you really mean it,” she replied, and the small curl at the corner of his lips for once didn’t set off her tempter. There was something almost… bitter about it. Not like the smug smiles she was accustomed to.

Rufus took a breath and pushed off from the sofa as he straightened, turning to face her fully.

“Miss Lockhart, I sincerely apologize for all of the ways in which I have harmed or wronged you,” Rufus declared, his eyes locked with hers, and Tifa felt her heart beat a bit quicker at his words. This was… different. The way he spoke, the tone of his voice, and the way the icy blue of his eyes seemed to thaw as he spoke told her that this wasn’t just a ploy or manipulation.

He was being genuine. Rufus Shinra was _sorry_ for what he had done to her.

“I forgive you,” Tifa said, her voice wavering slightly, the words releasing the tension she had been carrying since accepting his invitation that morning. He didn’t attempt to hide the reaction her words brought; the furrowing of his brow and the surprise in his eyes, and Tifa couldn’t restrain a huff of laughter. “Not what you expected?”

He chuckled, the sound odd to her ears, and shook his head.

“Forgiveness has been a rare occurrence in my life, Miss Lockhart,” Rufus replied, and she felt a sudden pang of sympathy for the man. It was unimaginable to her, what his life must have been like. He’d had to become a predator at such an early age, to survive living with that man who had been his father. Always in the public eye, being groomed to take over a company that profited from death. He’d never really had a chance to become a decent person. Not until now.

No, she would never like him, even with this newfound empathy for how he may have become the way he was, but Tifa could offer him the relief of one less enemy.

“Well…” she began, waving an arm around towards the folders of progress reports laying on the back of the sofa near her, “Keep this up, and you never know. There might be a little more forgiveness heading your way.”

He nodded, averting his eyes and working his jaw a bit, and then Rufus took a breath and looked back to her, opening his mouth to speak. He froze, his eyes widening in a manner that instantly had Tifa’s guard up. Calling upon years of training, her head snapped to the side and instantly assessed their situation.

Outside the windows, hanging in mid-air, was a black clad figure on what looked like a flying surf board. _Hoverboard_ , her mind supplied, and she quickly took him in. _Masked, no identifying insignias, high-powered rifle_ —

Shit.

Tifa acted on instinct, hurling herself towards Rufus just as the sound of shattering glass filled her ears. Puffs of cotton from the sofa and shards of glass rained down on them as she forced the former president to the ground, covering his body with hers as Tifa called upon the protective materia in her bracelet.

_Wall._

She barely felt the tingle across her skin as the magic clung to her through the burst of adrenaline coursing through her body, and she cursed herself for leaving her All materia connected only to her offensive magic. Traveling alone, she didn’t think to bring any for her support abilities.

“Stay down!” Tifa cried over the non-stop crack of gunfire, and rapidly pulled her gloves from her pocket and slipped them on. She did what she could to keep him covered, relying on her quickly dwindling protective magic as the sofa standing between them and the would-be assassin continued to disintegrate under the rifle’s fire, and prayed that the others were on their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little action for ya.  
> Not all romance in this story!  
> Comments and critique are appreciated.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus POV following the assassination attempt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little hint into Rufus's mind.

Pain.

It filled his awareness, blinding in its intensity, and Rufus could do little but listen to her when Miss Lockhart had demanded that he _stay down_. The sound of gunfire was barely audible above the ringing in his ears and the blackness that threatened to swallow him whole.

_Don’t pass out._

He’d glimpsed the would-be assassin over the woman’s shoulder, knew that there wasn’t enough time to get to cover, and then she’d slammed into him with all of her considerable strength. His treacherous body, made appallingly sensitive even after years of treatments, had screamed in agony from the life-saving contact, and Rufus once more despised what he had become.

Managing to open his eyes, his vision cleared slowly until he found Lockhart covering his body with her own, a faint shimmer of magic covering her form as she slipped her hands into materia-adorned gloves. Despite what he knew would be days of pain and recovery from their violent collision, the woman had likely just saved his life.

How… odd.

He shifted, trying to roll slightly to relieve the pressure on his chest, and she reached back to grip at his shoulder, keeping him in place. One of the green orbs inside her bracelet glowed before his eyes, but Rufus could see the flickering light fading. She was losing power. The barrier wouldn’t last much longer, and then…

The gunfire was relentless— _how many damn bullets were in that clip_ —and he was just considering how best to begin reaching for the handgun concealed in the inner pocket of his jacket when the door behind them slammed open.

Thank god.

Reno and Rude, their expressions deadly serious, stormed into the room with trained efficiency, wasting little time defending their employer. The equipment on their wrists gleamed green as they called upon their magic, and the hairs on the back of Rufus’s neck stood on end as bolts of lightning burst forth from their hands.

“Get up! _Get up_!”

Lockhart’s strained voice drew his attention, and he could feel the fighter pulling frantically at his arm as the Turks drew the assassin’s fire away from them. He tried, _goddammit, just fucking move,_ but his body was trembling from pain, and he was little help. She didn’t seem to care.

In an impressive feat of strength, Lockhart quite literally lifted him off her feet as she yanked his arm over her shoulders, stood swiftly, and all but dragged him towards the door. She was quick, even with his deadweight, and he was about to look back, to see how Reno and Rude were fairing, when she nearly stumbled.

Perhaps not that strong, then. _Well_ , he thought bitterly, _I’m not exactly making it easy for her._

“Sir!”

His eyes snapped up to see Tseng and Elena, weapons drawn, rushing down the hallway towards them. He felt his already worthless body slump further as relief swept through him. With all of them here, he would be okay. Another near-miss.

“The safe room,” Rufus ground out, and Elena nodded sharply before turning towards the stairway. Ah, that would be fun. Stairs. He could hear the cracks of lightning and sporadic gunfire from the lounge, but it faded quickly, overcome by the pounding of blood in his ears.

Lockhart continued supporting him until they reached the stairwell, and as Elena held the door open for them Tseng slipped to his other side, supporting him as well. His feet barely touched the steps as they ascended, and had he been in less pain he may have let himself feel the bitterness and humiliation that would likely fill him later.

For now, he was merely grateful.

It took what felt like ages to finally reach the upper levels, and when Elena pulled the door open and did a quick check of the room before nodding her head, Rufus felt almost dizzy with relief. 

It was over.

Lockhart slipped out from under his arm as Tseng guided him sideways through the door and quickly helped him sit on the nearby sofa. Rufus laid his head back, breathing shallowly through his nose and closing his eyes as he tried to control his reactions to his pain. He could feel the cold sweat pooling along his spine and hairline, and his body shook slightly as a tremor ran through him.

Recovering under the warm sun of Costa del Sol sounded so appealing at the moment…

“You’re hit, sir. How bad is it?” Tseng’s voice drew his attention, his eyes snapping back open in surprise. Everything hurt, he wasn’t sure he recalled actually taking a bullet. Following Tseng’s gaze, Rufus spotted a wash of bright crimson, startling against the stark white of his jacket. It covered a great deal of his side, and Rufus reached down with a trembling hand to search for the wound.

He carefully lifted his jacket, steeling himself to find…

Nothing.

His perfectly pressed coat beneath the jacket was unblemished, and Rufus felt his stomach drop as he realized it wasn’t his blood. His head snapped up, the motion bringing another wave of dizziness he had to fight through, and found Lockhart leaning against the wall next to the secured door. He took in her pale, pained face and then his eyes dropped lower to see that she was holding her clenched fist over her left side.

“Miss Lockhart,” Rufus ground out, and she gave a muffled grunt and slid slowly down the wall, a bright red streak painting the surface behind her as she sank down to her knees. The sight shocked him, more than the thought of his own injury, and it suddenly occurred to him that she had been injured in defense of _him_. After everything he had done, his family had done, she had still…

“Awe, shit,” Elena hissed as she hurried to the woman’s side, but Lockhart shook her head.

“It’s not bad,” the fighter said, her voice strong but low, and Elena quickly holstered her gun and kneeled down next to her.

“I have materia, let me help,” the Turk said.

“No… the bullet’s still inside. My back… I can’t get to it myself,” Lockhart told her, and Rufus clenched his jaw, his eyes dropping back down to the vibrant stain on his jacket. He could hear shuffling from their direction, as well as Tseng’s low voice as he spoke through his earpiece to Rude and Reno. He knew what was coming next.

“Okay… okay, this is really gonna hurt,” Elena warned, and Rufus couldn’t help but look up. Lockhart was laying on her side, her back towards him and her shirt pulled up to expose the bullet hole in her skin. The black of her clothing had hidden the injury well; there was a startling amount of blood covering her back and dripping down to the floor.

He had long since lost any squeamishness that might affect him from witnessing Elena literally dig her fingers into the bullet hole, but the sound of Lockhart’s scream through clenched teeth would be something he wouldn’t soon forget.

As if he needed more fuel for his nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and critique are always appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa's POV after the assassination attempt.

Tifa couldn’t help but think that they had been incredibly lucky. Yeah, she’d taken a hit, but after Elena had dug the bullet out it had been relatively easy to heal and all she carried from it was a headache and a bit of dizziness from the blood loss. The blonde Turk had done a good job, but Tifa had elected to claim her place on the comfortable sofa facing the door and rest her eyes while the others did their jobs.

She could hear them, Tseng, Elena and Rufus, all speaking on their phones or through their earpieces. After a while their voices sort of blended together, and she stopped trying to pick out words. She had caught enough to know that Reno and Rude were both alright, and that they were doing a detailed sweep of the building with a WRO security team.

Her shirt was uncomfortably sticky where the blood was drying, causing her skin to itch whenever she would breathe and it would catch. She was glad she’d packed an extra one.

Tifa was pulled from her thoughts when she felt the cushion shift as someone joined her on the couch, and she opened her eyes to see Rufus staring at her with a drawn expression. When he remained quiet, studying her, Tifa gave him a raised brow and the former president straightened with a sigh, his countenance shifting into something a little harder to read.

“Reno and Rude eliminated the threat. The WRO squad has just finished clearing the building. From what we can tell from surveillance, it seems he was working alone,” Rufus told her, and Tifa nodded, wincing as the movement exacerbated her headache. It reminded her that she wasn’t the only one who would be feeling the effects of their earlier excitement.

“Are you okay?” Tifa asked, and Rufus stared at her rather than answer, his icy eyes scanning her face intently. After a long moment, he finally spoke.

“You took a bullet for me,” Rufus said quietly, and Tifa glimpsed under the mask for a fraction of a second as guard dropped. Confusion, frustration, gratitude… coming from him, they took her aback enough that she felt more than a little uncomfortable.

“Yeah, well, the idea was for _neither_ of us to get shot,” she quipped, and Rufus chuckled softly, nodding his head. He opened his mouth to speak again when there was a sharp rap at the door and then the security console beeped rapidly. Tifa straightened as the door swung open and Reno swept in, followed by Rude, and she felt her entire body relax as she saw with her own eyes that they were unharmed.

Reno and Rude turned in unison to face them, the red head’s mouth open to say something to their boss, and then they both froze with wide eyes. It took Tifa a moment to realize what they must have looked like: her shirt torn and bloody, face pale from blood loss, and Rufus with the dark very obvious stain on his white coat.

“We’re okay—”

“We are uninjured—”

Tifa and Rufus spoke at the same time, and she glanced at him with an amused smirk and nodded for him to continue.

“Miss Lockhart was injured in her defense of me. Her injury has been tended to. I am unharmed,” Rufus told them clinically, and Tifa felt her chest clench at the way that Rude’s fists tightened at his sides. He remained motionless, save for the working of his jaw, and she wondered what he was thinking.

“Sooooo…” Reno drawled, diffusing the strange tension that had come over them, “We couldn’t find anything identifiable on the guy. Sent his picture to Reeve though, he’s gonna see if he can find anything out.” Tseng and Elena joined them, the blonde folding her arms across her chest and giving Tifa a grim smile.

“The rest of the employees in the building?” Rufus questioned, leaning forward slightly.

“All good. Seems like you were the only target,” Reno said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Do you know if he was working independently, or if someone sent him?” Tifa asked, and at her words, all eyes were on her. Well, she may not be a Turk, but she was a part of this now, and she had at least a basic understanding of how this worked.

“An excellent question,” Tseng said at length, giving her an approving nod before looking to Reno and Rude.

“Sorry, wasn’t exactly feeling chatty after that twenty-story splat,” Reno drawled, earning a disgusted expression from Elena.

“Ugh,” the blonde Turk sighed, looking down at her shoes. “So, what’s the plan? I’m guessing we’re not vacationing in Costa anymore?” Despite the situation, Tifa couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. She had been really looking forward to spending more time with Rude…

“No, we will keep to the original schedule. I’ve been looking forward to the warm weather,” Rufus declared, and there was a moment of silence before everyone began speaking.

“Sir—”

“I don’t think that—”

“Fine by me—”

“Enough. We’re going to board the ship in the morning, go to Costa, and enjoy ourselves,” Rufus told them, and Tifa had to restrain a smile. Their boss had to _order_ them to take a vacation.

“If someone else is behind the attack today, when they realize it resulted in failure, they will try again,” Tseng said, watching the former president carefully.

“Yes, they will,” Rufus agreed, his lips curling up at the edges.

“Trap?” Reno asked casually, and Rufus nodded. They seemed rather nonchalant about the whole thing, and Tifa couldn’t help but shake her head.

“How often does something like this happen?” Tifa asked them. She knew that the job of a Turk was dangerous, but a part of her had thought that things were different now.

“More than we’d prefer. Less than in years past,” Tseng answered, and Tifa hummed in acknowledgement before reaching up to rub at her forehead. She was distracted by the flaking blood on her hands, cracking between the folds of her gloves. She sighed, dropping her hand back down into her lap.

“Is there anywhere I can get cleaned up?” Tifa asked, picking at her damp shirt with a grimace.

“With the building cleared, the living areas will be accessible. Rude, assist Miss Lockhart,” Rufus ordered, and Rude nodded immediately, stepping forward to offer Tifa his hand. She was a bit surprised, wondering if this was a break from protocol, but she found that she also didn’t really care all that much.

She took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet before she was hit with a wave of dizziness that had her grasping his forearm to keep herself from stumbling.

“Tifa? You okay?” she heard Elena asking through the ringing in her ears, and she nodded her head, taking a few deep breaths before her vision cleared and she felt able to stand.

“Just a little dizzy,” Tifa said, and she felt Rude shift, bringing her arm to wrap through his. She felt glad for the support. Materia could heal a great deal of damage, but it couldn’t regrow lost blood. “I’m okay,” she told Rude, giving him a small, genuine smile. He nodded, his expression unreadable behind his glasses, and then slowly led her out of the room. 

He took her to the elevator, tapping at the console, and then the moment the doors slid shut he turned and gently wrapped her in his arms. Tifa sighed against him, dropping her forehead to his chest and clutching at the back of his jacket. She could feel him rest his cheek on the top of her head and smiled at the feeling, enjoying the broad span of his hands against her back. She felt… safe.

“I’m okay,” Tifa whispered, and he gave her a gentle squeeze as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Rude pulled away, clearing his throat as he took her arm in his and led her out of the elevator and down the hall. He swiped a card against the console outside one of the rooms, and then led Tifa inside.

The room was very modern and neat, much like him, and the only sign of habitation she could see was a navy suitcase in the far corner beside the desk. Tifa sent him a smile before slipping her arm from his and making her way towards the bathroom. Rude hovered for a moment, fidgeting just enough for Tifa to notice, and she deliberately pushed the door all the way open as she stepped in.

It was a gesture telling him that he could stay. That she didn’t need privacy, and Rude leaned against the doorframe to watch as Tifa turned on the water and began peeling off her gloves. Her Premium Hearts had gone through much worse, but they were durable, and she wasted no time running them under the water and scrubbing them clean until the water was pink and murky. It wasn’t the first time she had filled a sink with her own blood, but she had usually done this part alone.

Tifa didn’t know if she felt better or worse sharing this with him.

When she was satisfied that her gloves were as clean as they could get under the circumstances, she grabbed a hand towel and began wiping down her own hands and arms, searching for more areas of blood.

“Do you need anything?” Rude finally spoke, his deep, low voice sending a shiver down her spine. Tifa sent him a brief smile as she considered, and then looked down at the ruined remains of her shirt.

“Do you have an extra shirt?” she asked, and he nodded, pushing away from the door and retrieving a dark button-up from his suitcase. She thanked him, receiving a nod in response, and then Tifa pressed her palm against his chest and grinned before gently pushing him backwards. Rude huffed in amusement as she grabbed the door and wiggled her fingers, before closing it and leaving herself alone in the bathroom.

She wasted no time stripping down to her sports bra, tossing her stained shirt in the trash before she began cleaning the blood off of her back the best she could. Elena really had done an excellent job: there was no sign of where the bullet had entered her. When Tifa was finished she pulled on Rude’s shirt, grinning at the way that it was comically large on her, and then opened the door.

Rude was sitting on the edge of his bed, his forearms resting on his knees and his fingers steepled together. Tifa felt a pang of worry, recognizing the tension in his frame, and she moved to stand before him.

“I’m okay, I promise,” Tifa assured him, reaching out to rest a hand on his. She watched as he swallowed, his brow drawn and his lips pursed.

“I’m sorry—”

“Rude, don’t. It’s not your fault, and I’m okay. We’re all okay,” Tifa urged, and then slowly reached up towards his glasses, pausing to make sure he was alright with what she was doing. When he made no move to stop her, she gently removed them and set them on the desk behind her.

She loved the way his eyes tracked across her face, and something about their current position, her just slightly taller than him as he sat before her, made Tifa feel bold. She reached out and took his hand, guiding it to her side and slowly slipping it beneath the hem of her borrowed shirt. He inhaled sharply and his eyes widened, and Tifa fought a grin at his reaction as she pressed his palm to her back.

“See…” she whispered, “There’s nothing there. Won’t even be a scar.” He swallowed audibly, his mouth parting slightly, and Tifa watched in fascination as his eyes darkened beneath her gaze. Rude reached up and ran his thumb across her cheek, and then his hand slipped behind her head and he gently pulled her down to him.

She went willingly, sighing into their kiss, her free hand finding its way to his shoulder. He held her there for a moment and then they broke apart, and Tifa couldn’t stop herself from claiming another kiss, leaning farther into him and then tilting her head slightly to deepen their contact. Their mouths moved against each other, slowly at first, and then she wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him. The hyper-awareness from the attack had never really left her, and now it shifted into a different kind of awareness. An awareness of _him_ , and Tifa couldn’t help but take advantage.

Rude groaned lowly when Tifa touched at his lips with her tongue, daring, inviting, and she didn’t have to wait long for him to accept. His tongue swept into her mouth, dancing expertly with hers, and Tifa could feel her entire body react. Her heart started beating faster, and the feeling of his warm hand on her bare skin made her tremble. His thumb was making slow, gentle circles on her waist, and Tifa gripped his shoulders tightly, drawing herself even closer to him.

She had never felt _want_ like this. Yes, she’d been attracted to a few men throughout her life, but Tifa was pretty sure that if he’d asked it of her, she’d share Rude’s bed with him tonight.

The thought was more alluring than she thought it would be.

Tifa could feel Rude beginning to slow their kiss, and although she was fully enjoying herself, the logical part of her mind chimed in that he still had a job to do. She broke their kiss and took a shuddering breath to steady herself, resting her forehead against his and trying not to focus too much and the pleasurable sensation of his hand on her side.

“Are you still on the clock?” Tifa whispered, her lips brushing against his as they moved. He chuckled, his breath warm against her skin, and then pulled back enough to look at her.

“Yes. Are you ready to head back?” he asked her, his voice rough. Tifa looked down at him, taking in the flush on his cheeks and the brightness of his hazel eyes. No… what she really wanted was to kiss him again, to have his hands on her, and to put her hands on _him_ …

“Okay,” she said instead, knowing that this wasn’t the right time. Rude sighed and cleared his throat, his hand lowly slipping out from under his shirt as a regretful expression flitted across his face. Tifa stepped back, taking a moment to get herself back under control by arranging Rude’s shirt and tucking it in to improve the fit.

When she finished, she looked back down to see Rude appraising her with a small smile, his eyes warm and amused.

“What?” Tifa asked, her own smile spreading at his expression. Rude shook his head and stood slowly, standing over her before dropping a kiss to her forehead.

“You look good in my shirt,” he told her, and Tifa chuckled, feeling the remaining tensions she had been carrying leave her. She looked down at herself once more, admiring the man’s shirt, and had a thought that she might just try to keep it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and critiques are always appreciated!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rude and Tifa get a little alone time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Squint for a bit of sexual content here...

They had elected to remain in the safe room over dinner, discussing potential scenarios and assessing the frustratingly minimal data they had managed to retrieve from the would-be-assassin. Rufus was determined to follow through with his plans to take a bit of time off in Costa. Though, Rude was sure that due to the attack today, their off time would be limited.

He couldn’t help but notice that there was something different about the way that they all interacted with Tifa now. Well, except for Reno. There wasn’t much that changed him. But Rufus was more relaxed, Tseng seemed a bit deferential, and Elena… well, they seemed much friendlier than usual.

“So, did you want to keep it?” the blonde Turk asked Tifa, twirling something small and reflective between her fingers. The fighter chuckled and shook her head.

“Not much of a milestone for me, Elena. I’d have a handful by now,” Tifa replied, and then Reno leaned over and peered at them, trying to catch a glimpse at what she held. Elena flicked her hand towards the red head, but Reno’s reflexes were lightning-fast, and he managed to snatch it out of the air before dropping it to the table between them.

It was the bullet.

Rude swallowed roughly, doing his best to keep his expression blank as he took another drink. He’d been in more dangerous situations than he could count over the course of his life, but Rude knew that he’d never forget what had happened today.

They had been on their way back when they heard the gunfire. Reno had dropped the lunch boxes and they’d sprinted, calling in Elena and Tseng for backup while they raced up the stairs and towards the lounge. He’d burst in to see Tifa and Rufus crouched on the floor behind the shredded remains of the sofa, and had a split second of fear before he’d reacted and done his job.

They’d provided cover fire while Tifa had dragged Rufus out of the room, and in between his concern for them and his cold rage at their attacker, Rude couldn’t help but be proud of the way that she’d reacted. And later, when they’d made their way into the safe room and he’d seen the blood on both of them, Rude hadn’t know how to feel.

Over the years, especially when they had been at odds with AVALANCHE, he had seen Tifa injured any many times. Had thought her dead more than once. But it was different now… a part of him had been _terrified_ of losing her, and Rude knew it was because she was his. After so long of watching from afar, caring in secret, he was allowed to bring these things to light.

He had always known how to keep his feelings for her separate from everything else. Back then, it had been because they were enemies and her likelihood of survival was relatively low. After Meteor, it had been assumed that she was with Strife, and he had never suffered under any delusions that she could possibly look his way.

Rude could still scarcely believe that she _had_.

“Miss Lockhart,” Tseng’s voice drew him from his thoughts, “will you be travelling with us in the morning, or will you remain here in Junon?” he asked, and Rude hoped she’d join them. He didn’t like the idea of her being alone after what had happened today, despite how capable she’d proven herself. Tifa straightened in her seat and nodded her head, removing the napkin from her lap as she did.

“I had actually planned on heading to Costa next, I just wasn’t sure when. I’ll need to make arrangements to board my chocobo, but I can get everything else taken care of in time,” Tifa told them, and Rude was pleased she’d be joining them.

“I can have the proper paperwork handled for your chocobo, if you are amenable?” Tseng offered, and the fighter gave him a thankful smile. He couldn’t help but notice that she looked tired. Her eyes were heavy, there were slight smudges beneath them, and she was still too pale.

“Thank you. Dahlia won’t let anyone but me handle her, but if you take care of the paperwork, we’ll be there. What time does the boat leave?” Tifa asked.

“We will be taking the seven o’clock ferry,” Rufus answered, and Rude noticed that he held the small, shining bullet between his fingers. He examined it for a long moment, and then smoothly slipped it into his jacket pocket. Fitting, he thought to himself, as it had been meant for him after all.

Tifa nodded in response, and then reached up to cover her mouth as a yawn contorted her face.

“Alright. I should head back, it’s getting late,” the fighter said.

“Should probably take a shower too. You’ve got all kinds of crap in your hair,” Reno snarked, picking out a small scrap of shredded leather from behind her ear. She chuckled and swatted at his hand before reaching up to smooth her hair almost self-consciously.

“Rude will accompany you back to the inn. Goodnight, Miss Lockhart,” Rufus said, nodding to her as Tifa stood. He felt inordinately grateful for Rufus’s continued… acceptance of his relationship with Tifa. He knew that sending him with her was his way of demonstrating his approval.

Pushing up from his seat, Rude straightened his tie as Tifa moved around the table, smiling at him when he held open the door for her. He was about to follow when Rufus’s voice made him pause.

“And Rude,” the fighter looked over his shoulder to see his boss giving him a knowing smirk. “You’re off the clock.” His face went hot as Reno let out an excited whistle, and then he felt a bit satisfied when Elena slapped the back of his head a moment later. Rude nodded and then hurried out, following Tifa into the elevator and hoping that she hadn’t heard the former president’s comment.

He wasn’t so lucky.

“So… do they all know? About us?” she asked him quietly, and Rude fought back a frown at her words.

“…I trust them,” he replied, and then tilted his head to look at her. “Did you… want to keep this discreet?” He would understand if she did. Rude didn’t know if she’d spoken to any of her friends about what had begun to happen between them, but it wasn’t likely she’d be met with much approval. They had done a very good job at being the bad guys for a long time.

“No. I don’t want to hide,” Tifa replied, giving him a sweet smile, and Rude cleared his throat, fighting back a grin. Well… that felt good. He offered her his arm when the elevator reached the lobby, and proceeded to escort her through Junon towards the hotel.

He made to stop outside the inn, bid her goodnight, but Tifa didn’t release his arm. Instead, she gave him a small grin and pulled him inside after her. He tried not to get to excited about the idea of getting invited up to her room, as he was pretty sure she wasn’t quite ready for where his mind was going.

All of the fantasies he’d harbored for years were of her. Little escapes in his mind he never thought would come to pass, just something to channel his doomed infatuation with her into. She was the most beautiful women he had ever seen. It was one of the first things he’d noticed about her, and physically he couldn’t be more attracted to her. He couldn’t help it when a few of those fantasies flew into his mind as they ascended the stairs to where her room must lay, but if Rude was being honest with himself—and he usually was—he didn’t know if he was quite ready either.

He followed her inside when she opened the door, and Rude adjusted his collar discreetly as he considered where this could lead. He was more than happy to just spend time with her.

“So… with everything that’s happened, do you think you’ll get to have any time off in Costa?” Tifa asked him as she pulled her gloves from her pocket and laid them lovingly on the dresser. He raised a brow as she turned and stepped closer to him.

“You… have something in mind?” he asked, his heart rate picking up as she moved closer still, until there were only a few inches between them.

“It would be nice to make good on that dinner I promised,” Tifa continued, and this close he could see the reddish flecks of color in her eyes. He’d always loved her eyes. “I have a dress at the villa, a gift from Aerith. I’ve always wanted to wear it,” she said softly, and his mind was alight with how beautiful she would look in a dress.

“I’m sure I can work something out,” Rude told her, his voice pitched low, and then she surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. His hands instantly moved to grip her back, his mouth slanting over hers and deepening their kiss. He couldn’t get enough of her taste, the way her breasts felt pressed against his chest, and how _small_ she felt beneath his hands.

It was still so surreal that he got to be close to her like this.

Tifa reached up to grip the back of his neck, her nails dragging against his skin in a way that made his blood run south. His fingers clenched against her back, drawing a moan from her that nearly had him shaking before she broke their kiss.

“Touch me like you did before. In your room,” Tifa whispered against his lips, and Rude’s knees nearly gave out. She couldn’t have known that he had a weakness for being told what to do in the bedroom, but Rude found himself immediately complying.

Tifa may be inexperienced, but she was a woman who wasn’t afraid to ask him for what she wanted, and Rude wasn’t about to disappoint her.

He took her mouth again as he deftly untucked her—his, and he loved that she wore it—shirt and slipped his hands beneath. Her skin was cool beneath his palms, but so soft and smooth that it made him groan into her mouth. His hands weren’t still against her; they caressed and massaged, marveling at the strength hidden beneath such a delicate surface.

The moment was perfect.

Except for the crick in his neck.

Rude reached down and let his hands slide across her ass before gripping her behind her thighs and effortlessly lifting her off the ground. Tifa gasped into his mouth as he stepped father into their room, turning and sitting back on her bed. She gripped his shoulders tightly before reaching up and pulling his glasses from his face.

He looked at her then, taking in her dark eyes and swollen lips, and couldn’t help but think that she’d never looked so beautiful to him. Tifa smiled as she pressed forward into their kiss, her fingers clutching at his back, and Rude returned his hands to the irresistible skin beneath her shirt. Her thighs gripped him tightly as he pulled her closer, not shying away from the intimate press of their bodies as they came together.

She didn’t falter when she felt his hardness against her, instead Tifa clung to him tighter and rolled her hips. Rude grunted at the pleasurable motion, and he knew that he needed to make a decision quickly. To stop them from moving any farther tonight, or to keep going. He wanted her so much, but the long-hidden romantic part of him didn’t want to take her for the first time in a hotel room.

It was with a great deal of reluctance that he began to slow their movements, taking control of the kiss and shifting it into something a bit more… tame. Tifa gave a shuddering sigh when they broke apart, and as Rude pulled his hands from beneath her shirt she gave a soft chuckle.

“Rude… I want…” she said breathily, and he reached up to touch her face. He knew that she could see her own desire reflected on his face, and he didn’t try to mask it from her.

“Me too,” he said lowly, and kissed her gently, doing his best not to focus on the discomfort of the ignored organ in his pants. “There’s no rush, Tifa.” She nodded, sitting back slightly, and then shook her head with a grin.

“I think I’m going to have to make that shower a cold one.”

She wasn’t the only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo… gonna have to wait a bit for the good stuff, but I hope you enjoyed that little teaser.  
> Comments and critique are always welcome.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hint into the mind of our villain, and Elena's little girl-crush on Tifa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a transitional chapter, but there are some little things that will be important later.

The more time passed with no news, the more his hope dwindled. The assassin had been well-trained and expertly equipped, but he knew that the Shinra scum was resourceful. That he had managed to continue breathing for so many years when much of the world hated him was testament to that.

He had to accept that the mission was a failure.

The only balm to his disappointment was the news that many of the other endeavors had been fruitful. A handful of successes that would bring him closer to his goal. And he knew that Shinra would die. At this point, it was only a matter of when.

His fate had been written long ago, and destiny would have her due.

He could be patient.

He _had_ been patient.

Leaning back in his chair with his leather-gloved fingers steepled together, he began to plan. There was much to do, so many things that needed to fall into place before he could finally reveal himself and take his place in the world once more.

When he was finished, this planet would be made better from his work. He would cleanse the filth from her skin, and be rewarded for his service.

He would make them all pay.

*  
*  
*

Despite being assured that the entire city had been swept and cleared, Elena couldn’t stop the nervous flickering of her eyes as she scanned the streets and alleys. She wasn’t in a particularly vulnerable location, but she’d always got a bit jittery after an assassination attempt.

A soft ‘wark’ drew her attention, and she felt excitement bubbling up in her as she watched Tifa lead a stunning black chocobo out of the Junon stables. The bird had bright blue, intelligent eyes and as they approached, Elena felt a bit apprehensive when they zeroed in on her.

“Kweh?”

The chocobo tilted her head to the side, looking down at her, and after a moment of staring at each other, Tifa chuckled and moved to the Turk’s side.

“This is Dahlia,” the fighter introduced, and then reached up to pat the bird’s neck. “Do you want to lead her?”

Elena cleared her throat, battling between her apprehension and excitement. She had never been so close to one before.

“I’ve never handled a chocobo,” she admitted, and Tifa gave her a warm smile.

“Here,” she said, handing Elena the guide rope. She took it slowly and then shifted, and Dahlia ruffled her feathers and began to walk. The bird remained slightly behind her, at her shoulder, and Elena was barely aware of the uncontrollable smile on her face.

“She likes you,” Tifa said, and Elena raised her brow.

“How can you tell?”

“Because she’s letting you lead her. If she didn’t like you, she’d take over,” the fighter explained, and then gave her a thoughtful look. “I’m sure she’d let you ride her sometime, if you want.” Elena straightened at her words, and nodded immediately. A part of her had hoped for the offer, though she wouldn’t have asked herself. They’d continued through Junon to the docks, talking about chocobos and breeding and racing them, and Elena couldn’t help but think that there was a great deal about the woman that she didn’t know.

She hadn’t been lying when she’d told Reno that she liked Tifa. She had never really had much luck making friends, especially other women. Elena was too intense, to dedicated to her work, to spend much time doing ‘girly’ things. Her job was fulfilling, and she had found friends in her other Turks, _more_ with Tseng. But having a female friend that she could be herself around was something that she’d secretly craved for most of her life.

It hadn’t taken long at all to board the chocobo, and now they’d been sailing for a few hours, the entire group collected on a reserved deck of the ship. All but Tifa were sitting at one of the tables, the fighter excusing herself to make a phone call.

Elena caught enough of her conversation to discern that she was speaking with the children that had been living with her, and the bright, happy smile on the fighter’s face was contagious. She recalled hearing that Tifa had brought in one of the kids orphaned after they’d stopped Meteor. As if she needed another reason to admire the woman.

Yesterday’s event was still fresh in her mind, and from what Elena had seen in the lounge’s surveillance videos, Tifa had done the job that they should have, and done it well. She had literally taken a bullet for their boss. She was smarter than to say the words to Tifa, but Elena couldn’t help but think that she’d have made a pretty good Turk.

Tifa hung up her phone and returned to their table, joining them as she sent a small smile in Rude’s direction. The poor man had been subjected to Reno’s relentless teasing when he had returned, and even Elena had been a bit surprised to see him before morning. Considering how long he had been harboring feelings for Tifa, she had expected him to spend much more time with her.

But Rude was nothing if not a gentleman, and their relationship was still new.

“Will you require accommodations when we arrive?” Tseng asked the fighter. When Rude had taken Tifa back, they had all agreed to do what they could to keep her close while in Costa. There was a very small, highly unlikely chance that _she_ could have been the target. It would be prudent to keep an eye on her.

“No, I have a villa,” Tifa replied, and Reno turned to her with wide eyes.

“Wait, what? You actually own _property_ in Costa?” the red head asked incredulously, and Tifa gave him a sly smile.

“You mean, you didn’t know that already?”

“I’ve told you; we don’t know everything Lockhart,” Reno replied with a shrug. She laughed, shifting in her chair so that her shoulder brushed Rude’s.

“Too bad for you,” Tifa said.

“Well, boss-man’s got a nice little condo right on the sea. Private beach and everything,” Reno bragged, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms behind his head.

“Which you are more than welcome to make use of during your stay,” Rufus offered as he flicked his bangs out of his eyes. He looked noticeably tired today, and Elena was pretty sure that he was in a lot more pain than he would admit. Tifa _had_ tackled him pretty hard…

“Thank you, I think I will,” Tifa said, and Elena couldn’t help but feel excited about the prospect of getting to know her a little better. She knew that she’d be on opposite shifts from Rude, and she hoped that Tifa would be amenable to a little… girl-time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be in Costa!  
> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments and critique are always welcome.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Costa del Sol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more Tifa and Elena bonding here.

Dahlia had been more than happy to meet the other chocobos in the Costa stables, and it made Tifa feel a bit better about not riding her much lately. She’d get plenty of fresh air when they headed to Corel, and the black bird was one of their most patient, after all.

The weather in Costa was beautiful as always, and Tifa couldn’t help but sigh happily as she approached the villa. The Turks and Rufus had parted ways with her at the docks, needing to speak with the dockmaster, and Elena had told her that she would stop by later.

They had hired a caretaker to manage the upkeep on the villa when it wasn’t in use, and as Tifa opened the door and entered her temporary home, she could only think that it had been gil well spent. Everything was clean and dust-free, and she sighed happily as she set her bag on the table and moved to check the kitchen.

She made a quick grocery list, calculating how long she’d probably be here in Costa and what she’d need. Tifa had never stayed her by herself, and she was a little unsure about how much food would be appropriate. Oh well, she could always take any extra over to Rude and the others.

The heat was beginning to get to her by the time that she had finished getting everything in order, and Tifa moved to the bedroom and checked her closet. Her eyes first fell on the black garment bag in the corner, and she bit her lip when she recalled mentioning the dress within to Rude. She couldn’t wait to wear it for him…

Pushing that thought away for now, Tifa grabbed her black and red swimsuit and a dark gray wrap. She was just about to begin changing when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

**Hi Tifa, it’s Elena. We were wondering if you wanted to come hang out at the condo with us?**

Tifa smiled and typed a quick response, telling the Turk that she would love to, and then looked back to her closet. She wasn’t sure if they would be on the beach, but she was still a bit too hot, so Tifa changed into a mid-length flowy navy skirt and a white crop tank. She heard her phone buzz once more as she placed a straw hat on her head and packed her suit in a beach bag.

**I’ll meet you outside the villa, we can head to the condo together.**

Tifa lifted a brow, wondering just how long they waited before looking up her address, and then headed out the door. She had just finished locking up when Elena appeared from around the corner. She had never seen the Turk out of uniform, and Tifa couldn’t help but think that perhaps always wearing the suit meant that they would be much more effective at undercover work.

The blonde woman was wearing a pair of black cotton shorts and a dark green tank, with over-sized sunglasses and tan flip flops. Elena tucked her hair behind her ear as she reached the fighter, and gave her a tight smile.

“Almost didn’t recognize you,” Tifa teased, and Elena scoffed as she motioned for her to follow.

“I don’t even remember the last time I was out of uniform in public. Haven’t had a vacation in years,” the blonde groused, and Tifa chuckled.

“It’s about time then. Honestly, I’m glad you guys are here at the same time. I would probably get a little bored being here by myself for too long,” Tifa admitted, and Elena grinned at her.

“Well, the guys are all gonna be on the beach for most of the week. Reno and Rude are on the job today, but still… I’m sure your scenery won’t be boring,” the blonde said, and Tifa couldn’t but flush as the image of a shirtless Rude flashed through her mind. She let out a shocked gasp and nudged Elena’s arm, chuckling at the woman’s shameless shrug.

“What? I’m committed to Tseng, _happily_ , but I can still enjoy the view,” she said airily, and Tifa shook her head with a grin. This was a new side to the Turk that she’d had yet to see, but she couldn’t deny that she was enjoying her company. 

When they reached the condo Tifa was unsurprised to find it much more modern and elegant than the other buildings in Costa. She wasn’t sure if it was purchased before or after Meteorfall, but it was typical of Shinra to own the best-looking property in the city. It was a massive three-story, with airy white curtains and furniture, and Tifa didn’t even want to know the value of the many pieces of artwork she saw as Elena led her to the second floor.

“This is my room, you can go ahead and get changed,” Elena told her, and then began stripping down to reveal a white bikini. Tifa felt a flare of insecurity, but she pushed it down and moved behind the screen in the corner of the room to change into her suit. She hesitated, her fingertips trailing along the scar that split her chest, until Elena called her name. Steeling herself, Tifa turned and stepped out from behind the screen. To her credit, Elena’s only reaction was a slight narrowing of her eyes, and Tifa gave her a tight smile.

“Sephiroth?” Elena asked gently, and Tifa couldn’t help the chill that crept down her spine at that name even now, years later. She huffed out a bitter laugh and nodded, moving towards the bed and searching for the coverup she had in her bag. She had always taken care of her body, and was proud of it, but that damned scar was an eyesore.

“I was sixteen. Half-mad with grief. I tried to attack him with his own sword…” Tifa said, pulling her coverup on up past her breasts, hiding her scar. Elena moved towards her and slowly reached for the wrap, pulling it down and tying it stylishly at her waist. She remained motionless as the other woman worked, and wondered when she’d become comfortable enough to let her walls down like this.

“We all have our scars,” Elena said, and then turned slightly, revealing her back to Tifa. There was a faint crisscross of lines across the otherwise smooth skin of her back, and Tifa felt her eyes burn as she recognized them as knife wounds. “Kadaj did this to me. But he’s dead now. Just like Sephiroth.”

Of course. Vincent had told them that Tseng and Elena had been tortured when they’d been captured at the Northern Crater, but Tifa hadn’t known it had been this bad. She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, pushing down her anxiety about revealing her scar.

“They’re nothing to be ashamed of. They show what we survived,” the blonde continued, and Tifa gave a shaky exhale and nodded her head. She felt a new sort of kinship with the woman, and decided then and there that she wouldn’t hide any longer. There was a lingering bit of nervousness over the fact that Rude would see it, and know what it came from, but Tifa also realized that if their relationship were to continue progressing as it was, he would have to see it sooner or later.

“We’ve really been through it all, haven’t we?” Tifa mused, gaining a grin from the Turk.

“That we have. Ready to go down? My boyfriend’s shirtless, and I’m missing out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of shirtless Turks coming up in the next chapter.  
> You're welcome.  
> Comments and critique are always appreciated!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little break for our characters...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this makes me want to be at the beach...

Rude could admit to himself that, for once, he was a bit envious of Reno’s laid-back attitude when it came to the uniform.

It was hot.

Even in the shade provided by the covered veranda, he could feel sweat beginning to pool along his spine and his collar was uncomfortably tight. But he was nothing if not professional, and he had endured far worse in the line of duty. He preferred this to the sharp cold of Icicle.

His partner was relaxing in nothing but board shorts and sunglasses on a lounge chair, just far enough from the veranda to be in the sun, and though his manner was carefree, Rude was well aware that Reno was just as conscious of everything happening around them as he was. Their approach to the job was completely opposite, but that was what made them such effective partners.

Rufus wore lightweight pants and a thin shirt, white of course, and was sitting back on a wicker lounge with a tablet in his hands. It seemed that even on vacation, the former president needed something to keep his mind occupied. Rude didn’t doubt that Rufus had planned to continue working during their stay, but he was grateful for the change of scenery.

Especially when the screen door opened on the other side of the veranda and Elena and Tifa walked out.

He suddenly felt _much_ hotter.

She wore a black bikini with deep red borders that crisscrossed over her collarbones and tied behind her neck. A charcoal wrap rested low on her hips, and she had pulled her dark hair up into an elegant bun on the top of her head. He did his best not to be too obvious of his perusal of her body, admiring the contradiction of sweeping curves and lean muscle.

Tifa had definitely kept up on her conditioning.

Reno gave an appreciative whistle, to which Elena responded by flipping him off and Tifa ducked her head with a grin. 

“Best vacation ever,” Reno drawled, and Rude was fighting the urge to slap the back of his head when something caught his attention. As Tifa followed Elena down from the porch towards the beach, she stepped into the sun and the light caught on a silvery line that crossed her body from hip to chest.

A scar…

It was slightly raised and he could tell that it was old, much older than a similar scar that Tseng bore across his ribs.

The chill that traveled along his spine at the realization of where she had received it effectively countered the previous heat he had been mentally complaining about. Tseng had nearly died from his Sephiroth-inflicted wound, and Tifa’s was _so much bigger_.

How had she survived?

Thankfully, he was distracted from his chilling thoughts when they reached the lounge chairs set in the sandy beach, and Tifa pulled the wrap from her waist.

 _Holy hell._..

“Damn, Rude… you lucky sonuvabitch,” Reno breathed, and he couldn’t help but agree. She was… perfect. He watched as Tseng exited the condo and walked over to the women, a drink in each hand. They thanked him as he delivered their refreshments, bending down to drop a kiss to Elena’s cheek before turning to enter the veranda.

“Where’s mine, yo?” Reno quipped, earning a raised brow from Tseng as the man reentered the condo. “Whatever. Rude man, how can you stand the heat in that?” he shook his head as he spoke, and Rude remained silent, wondering the same thing himself.

“Feel free to make yourself comfortable. I don’t expect you to stay in uniform the entire vacation,” Rufus offered, and Rude hummed in response, deciding that during his next shift he would dress down a bit.

“Anything to report?” Tseng asked, returning to the veranda with a small cooler he laid on the table. Reno was quick to hop up and snag a soda.

“Two houses down, got a creeper on the porch. Mid-thirties… paying a lot more attention now that the eye-candy is on the beach,” Reno said quietly before taking a long drink from his soda.

“Second story window of the unit on our right. Movement behind the curtain, but no identification,” Rude followed, adjusting his cuffs habitually.

“Noted. Stay on it,” Tseng said, leaning back against the post and watching Tifa and Elena. They were chatting quietly enough that Rude couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but the laughter and grins interspersed in their conversation made it obvious that they were enjoying each other’s company.

“They seem to be getting on well. Miss Lockhart appears none-the-worse from the events in Junon,” Rufus observed, finally setting his tablet aside and relaxing back into his seat. He had a faint, genuine smile on his face as he looked towards the pair, and if Rude hadn’t known that he wasn’t interested in women, he may have wondered if he had a thing for Tifa.

“Anyone else a little scared about the thought of those two teaming up?” Reno said, tipping the soda in his hand towards the women.

“Not at all. The thought of them teaming up against you happens to be a pleasant one,” Tseng stated, ignoring Reno’s spluttering as he walked past and joined Elena and Tifa in their sunbathing. Rude couldn’t help but agree.

He did so enjoy watching Tifa in action.

*

*

*

There were few things better than waking up to the scent of the ocean and the feel of fresh cotton sheets. Tifa sighed as she rolled to her back and stretched leisurely, enjoying that unhurried moment between waking up and getting up. She brushed her hair from her eyes and smiled as she glanced over at her clock.

Reno and Rude had the day off, and she had invited them over to have breakfast at the villa. She had a few hours before they were due to arrive…

Reluctantly leaving the comfort of her bed, Tifa got dressed in a pair of comfy gray shorts and a black tank before getting everything together for breakfast. Eggs Benedict with fruit salad wasn’t particularly complicated, but it did require her focus, and Tifa hadn’t realized how much time had passed until there was a knock at the door.

She hurried over and opened it to see Reno and Rude, both in attire very different from their norm. Reno wore teal board shorts and a white shirt left completely open, while Rude’s appearance made her pause in surprise. He had on a pair of tan pants made from an airy material, and a short-sleeved silvery button-up. Tifa couldn’t help but admire the muscular shape of his arms revealed to her, and it took her a moment to remember that she had their ham on the griddle.

“Oh! Come in, I’m almost done!” she told them, leaving them at the door as she hurried back into the kitchen to finish plating their breakfasts.

“Nice place, Lockhart,” Reno complimented as they entered the room, and she threw him a grin over her shoulder.

“Thanks. I was thinking we could eat up on the roof. Grab the drinks, Reno? And Rude, could you get the bowl of fruit?” It took a moment to make sure that they wouldn’t drop anything, and then Tifa led them up the stairs and out to the rooftop.

This had been one of the projects that Tifa had taken upon herself during a trip to Costa with Yuffie and Marlene, a few months before Geostigma had appeared and they’d given up on planning any more trips for the foreseeable future. The flat roof of the villa had been turned into a balcony style hang-out.

Half of the area was covered in a sheer-fabric canopy, with a fire-pit and an assortment of lounge chairs and sofas. There was a large round table to one side, and it was here that Tifa directed them for breakfast.

“This is nice,” Rude commented, looking around the space with a nod. Tifa felt inordinately pleased that he appreciated what she had done.

“Thank you. It felt like such a waste to have nothing up here. Yuffie helped me with it,” Tifa explained as they took their seats. She couldn’t help but steal glances at Rude as they ate, especially with all of the new skin on display, and she flushed and dropped her gaze when he finally caught her with a raised brow.

“So… do you have any more information about the assassin?” Tifa asked as she finished her meal and leaned back in her chair.

“Reeve is looking into it. I’ll let you know if he finds out anything,” Rude told her.

“Just watch your back, yeah? As long as we’re around, we’ll watch it too,” Reno said, his expression uncharacteristically serious. Tifa nodded, grateful, and wondered just when she had reached the point where she viewed the other Turks as friends.

Rude was… well, she could admit to herself now that there had been a curiosity there ever since Gongaga. And he had always been the least antagonistic of them when they had been forced to fight each other. But now she counted Reno and Elena among her friends, and even Tseng had noticeably warmed towards her. It was a development she didn’t really mind at all.

“And don’t take anymore bullets for the boss. Making us look bad,” Reno continued, his face shifting back into something more irreverent and familiar. Tifa chuckled and raised her glass.

“We wouldn’t want that, would we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love those Turks.  
> Comments and critique are always appreciated.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa and Rude share their first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little hot in this chapter.  
> I warned you...

Rude had never been more grateful for a day off than today. His morning had started off with an enjoyable breakfast at Tifa’s villa, and they had followed that with a few hours of beach volleyball at the condo. Rufus had practically ordered Elena to join them, and the girls had—in an upset that Reno was _still_ grumbling about—thoroughly destroyed him and the red head.

Apparently, Elena had been on the varsity team in university, and Tifa had played scrap ball in the slums.

He hadn’t been unaware of her admiring gaze when he’d shed his shirt for the game, and Rude made sure to catch her gaze before he looked her up and down in return. That she still blushed when he looked at her was endearing, and he couldn’t deny he had been pleased she enjoyed looking at him.

The sun was just beginning to set as he prepared to head out for the evening, more than a little excited about what would be their first date. Tifa had already made reservations at one of the nicer restaurants in Costa, and he was looking forward to spending the evening with her.

“And Rude,” Rufus called from the living room, drawing his attention just as he had made to move to the door. The former president gave him a sly smirk as he said, “I won’t have need of you before, say, nine o’clock?” Rude fought against the heat rising in his face, threatening to give him away. He had definitely been thinking about where this date may lead…

“Yeah man, it’d just be sad if you came back early again,” Reno added. Ignoring his partner, Rude nodded to Rufus and then quickly exited the condo, adjusting his sunglasses before he began heading towards Tifa’s villa. Tseng had bought them all non-uniform clothes for their vacation, and he had dressed in black slacks and a deep green button-up shirt.

He felt a small flicker of nerves, a combination of both excitement and anxiety, and fought to keep his pace normal. The last date he had been on… well, he’d figured out half way through that he was being used because of his position as a Turk. He knew that Tifa wasn’t that kind of person, but the betrayal had made him wary of opening himself up to anyone for a very long time.

Far too soon he stood at her door, and Rude took a bracing inhale and knocked. He could hear the soft click of heels from within, and then the door opened and he forgot to breathe.

He wasn’t sure where to look first, as all of her was stunning. Tifa wore an above-the-knee length halter dress in a deep plum that was just tight enough to show off her fabulous figure while still being classy. She wore nude heels and had—much to his approval—a gold bangle with a few glimmering materia orbs set in it upon her wrist. He appreciated her preparedness.

Tifa smiled brightly at him as she tucked a few stray strands of gently curled hair behind her ear, the rest of it cascading artfully down her back. She was everything he had ever wanted, and it took him a moment to come back to himself.

Rude reached for her hand and brought it up to press a soft kiss on her knuckles, knowing that there were no words he could use to express how beautiful she was to him. He was once again caught by surprise by the bright flush on her face, and he had to wonder if no one had taken the time to treat her this way. Recalling the way that she had seemed so taken aback the first time that he had offered her his arm, Rude found it rather a shame that she hadn’t been cared for better.

He vowed to never make that mistake. She deserved to be treated like a queen.

“You look really nice,” Tifa complimented, and Rude offered her a smile as he slipped her arm through his.

“Thank you. You’re beautiful. I’m glad I’m the first to see you in this dress,” Rude replied as he led her from the villa and down the cobblestone street towards the restaurant. Tifa chuckled and ducked her head, biting her lip for a moment before she looked back up at him.

“Me too.”

It didn’t take long to reach the restaurant and be led to their reserved table, and as Rude pulled out Tifa’s chair for her he couldn’t help but appreciate that they’d been sat in the far corner of the room. It had the best view of the entrance and all the other tables, and as he took his seat, he gave her a raised brow.

“I figured you’d be more comfortable if you could see the room,” Tifa offered with a shrug, and Rude nodded his head as he removed his glasses and set them aside. They put in their orders and he took a moment to admire her in the warm glow of the candlelight. Her skin was so flawless it almost looked unreal, and the way that her eyes glimmered captivated him.

He felt like such a besotted idiot at the way he thought of her, but Rude couldn’t help it.

They made small talk as they picked at their appetizers, mostly poking at each other about their match earlier, until Rude had a thought about what would come next.

“So… we’ve been fortunate to spend a good deal of time together the last few days. What will happen after Costa?” Rude asked, and she looked up at him, pausing in her response when their meals were delivered. Their waiter departed, and Tifa sighed softly as she arranged her napkin neatly across her lap.

“Well… I still have plans to travel for a while. I’ll spend some time in Corel with the kids, see Cid and Shera in Rocket. Maybe Wutai. _Definitely_ Wutai. But… if you have a job where you travel somewhere and get any time off… I can be flexible,” Tifa said, smiling at him from behind the rim of her wineglass.

“As long as there’s not a last-minute job, we can usually request our days off. I could… see where you are. Spend them with you,” Rude offered, and she grinned and nodded.

“I wouldn’t mind traveling to wherever you are too. I guess… I’m willing to do what I can to make this work,” Tifa said, her eyes locking with his. Sensing the import of the moment, Rude laid his fork down and straightened, maintaining her gaze.

“I… hmm,” he cleared his throat, knowing that now was as good a time as any to lay down all the cards. “I’ve cared about you for a long time. And that was before I really even knew you. Now though,” Rude paused, steeling himself. “I’m yours, Tifa. I’ll happily do whatever it takes to stay that way.”

Her lips parted at his words, and he felt a brief flare of panic when her eyes misted with tears. But then Tifa smiled at him, so brilliantly he couldn’t help but return it. She shook her head and lowered her gaze, taking a moment to sip at her wine and steady herself.

“For someone who doesn’t talk a lot, you really know how to knock a girl off her feet,” Tifa told him, giving him a grin, “I’m really glad you gave me your number.”

“I’m glad you used it for more than emergencies,” Rude replied, and she laughed brightly. He was glad that he’d been so open with her. She deserved to know how much he valued what they were building together.

*

*

*

Tifa felt like she was floating as they exited the restaurant and headed back towards her villa. And she was pretty sure only a little of that was due to the wine.

She never could have thought that the stoic Turk could make her feel so much with so little. And she knew that when he told her something, he really meant it. He looked her in the eyes when she spoke, actually _listened_ , and she could tell that his thoughts weren’t anywhere other than right there with her.

It’s all she had ever really wanted.

Someone who shared her feelings and was present with her. It wasn’t complicated. She didn’t need a lot, and Tifa had never really been high-maintenance. But when Rude was with her, he was _really_ with her, and she couldn’t help but think that falling in love with him would be very easy. She wasn’t there yet, they still had a great deal to learn about each other, but she probably wasn’t far off either.

Her arm was through his, their hips and shoulders bumping with each step as he led her back and paused at the door. She grinned at him, gripping his arm and pulling him along with her as she unlocked the door and led them inside. There was a small moment of awkwardness while they stood still and contemplated what to do next, until Rude tilted his head to the side towards the staircase.

“Rooftop?”

Grateful for some direction, Tifa nodded and led him up, taking a moment to turn on the strings of twinkle lights that lay within the folds of sheer fabric. The result was a romantic glow, not too bright, and she grinned as Rude reached down to turn on the outdoor radio she had set up earlier that morning.

Costan music began playing, and she let out a delighted laugh when Rude reached for her hand and smoothly spun her in a circle. They danced slowly, Rude leading her until she was comfortable with the step, and then they began to pick up speed until they were in sync with the music.

After a particularly athletic turn he brought her in close, and Tifa couldn’t fight the broad smile stretching across her face when she looked up at him.

“Is there anything you’re _not_ good at?” she quipped, and his lips curled.

“Don’t ask me to sing,” Rude replied, drawing a laugh from her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. With her heels on she was almost to his nose, and it wasn’t difficult at all to guide him down for a kiss. He pulled her tighter to him, and she could taste the whiskey and chocolate cake from dinner on his mouth. Wanting more, she deepened their kiss, teasing his tongue with hers and sighing at the sensation of his broad hands gripping her hips.

She didn’t know if it was the wine or just the way he made her feel, but a burst of daring rose up in her, and Tifa broke their kiss and began walking backwards. Rude let her pull him, smiling down at her as they moved, until Tifa’s calves bumped against the base of the low-laying lounge seat that she’d turned into a sort of bed on the rooftop.

It had an outdoor cushion on it, and she playfully fell backwards, dragging Rude along with her. He chuckled as he caught himself with his arms bracketing her head, and Tifa grinned as she reached up and grabbed the collar of his shirt to bring him closer. He didn’t hesitate to reclaim her mouth, kissing her sensually as Tifa slowly pulled them both farther onto the mattress.

They continued to kiss as she let her hands explore the broad expanse of his back, until Tifa became impatient with the space between their bodies and pulled him down onto her fully. Rude froze for a moment and Tifa broke their kiss, wondering if she’d gone too far as she looked up at him. He was staring down at her with a furrowed brow, but the look in her eyes reassured her that he was feeling just as turned on as she was.

She wasn’t sure who moved first, but they kissed again almost frantically and she couldn’t help but roll her hips towards him. She felt him there, hard between her thighs at the dip of her hip, and he gave a groan as he mimicked her movement. Their tongues tangled almost messily, and she couldn’t remember ever feeling as good as she did beneath him.

And then his hand moved to grip her thigh, pulling it up to wrap around his hip, and Tifa moaned as the shift in position brought his hardness in contact with where she wanted him most. Rude’s fingers dug into her skin as he thrust into her again, and she clutched at his shoulders in an attempt to pull him even closer. He continued to massage her leg, moving slowly upward until he encountered the hem of her dress where he paused and reluctantly broke their kiss.

They were both breathing quickly, their lips still brushing as Tifa reached down and took his wrist in her hand.

“Tifa,” he said lowly, his voice almost a growl.

“Don’t stop,” she whispered, and then pulled his wrist, guiding his hand beneath the hem of her dress. Rude seemed to shudder atop her, his mouth falling to the side of her neck as his hand continued its journey up her thigh and over her hip. She gasped when she felt his teeth scrape against the side of her throat, and then finally managed to get her own hands beneath the back of his shirt.

His skin was hot beneath her questing fingers, and she happily explored the thick muscles she had so admired during their volleyball match earlier that day. He really was an attractive man, and Tifa felt lucky to be with him like this. And then her thoughts studded to a halt when his fingers brushed against her core through the thin material of her underwear.

He pulled away from her neck, looking into her eyes, and Tifa realized that he was waiting for her permission.

“Yes,” she whispered, and Rude’s eyes never left hers as he smoothly slipped his hand beneath her underwear and began to touch her. He obviously knew what he was doing, and it didn’t take long before the expert movements of his fingers had her entire body shuddering. Tifa bit her lip to contain the noises threatening to escape from her, but Rude shook his head and dropped his lips to her ear.

“No… don’t hold back. Let me know what you like,” he said lowly, his voice in her ear causing a shiver to pass through her, and then Tifa couldn’t help but moan softly when he slowly pressed a finger inside her. She rolled her hips, chasing the sensation as Rude reached his free hand up to caress the side of her face.

“More,” Tifa breathed, and he pressed his forehead to hers as he added a second finger. The feeling of fullness had her arching into him, and Rude suddenly slanted his mouth across hers. Their tongues tangled as he brought her higher and higher, Tifa moaning into his mouth as she finally reached her peak.

She was panting as he pulled back from their kiss and gently removed his fingers, arranging her underwear and dress as she recovered. Her entire body was warm and languid, and Tifa hummed in satisfaction as she reached up to cup Rude’s face. His gaze was intense and filled with something that she couldn’t quite name, and Tifa brought their mouths together as she moved to undo the belt around his hips.

“Tifa,” he groaned, breaking their kiss, “You don’t have to…”

She silenced him with another kiss, but paused in her pursuit. He had let her choose what she wanted; it was only fair that she offered him the same courtesy.

“I want to, if you want me to?” she breathed, watching as his eyes shuttered shut and he swallowed thickly. And then he moved to help her with his belt, popping the buttons to his pants in quick, efficient flicks of his talented fingers. She felt alight with excitement, all trepidation about doing something unknown to her with him gone in the afterglow of her orgasm, and Tifa happily slipped her hand around his erection the moment it was revealed.

Rude hissed out a breath and dropped his head to her shoulder as Tifa explored him. He was softer than she thought, smooth and enticingly hard beneath her palm. She stroked him slowly, learning his shape, and then Tifa turned her head to place her mouth at his ear, as he had done to her.

“Show me what you like,” Tifa purred, and Rude gave a soft groan before he reached down to cover her hand with his. Before he could help show her what to do he shifted, wrapping an arm around her waist and reversing their positions. Tifa ended up straddling his thighs, and she took advantage of their new position to look down at him.

Rude was staring up at her with hooded eyes, his mouth parted and his chest rising and falling quickly. Tifa reluctantly released her grip on him and ran her hands down his chest, feeling emboldened by the way that he licked his lips as his hands moved to her hips. She began smoothly unbuttoning his shirt from bottom to top, and when she’d accomplished her task she took a moment to appreciate the view of his deliciously muscled chest.

He sighed under her hands, his eyes falling closed as his head fell back. Tifa bit her lip as she continued her journey south, and she could feel his entire body tense when she wrapped her hand around his cock again.

“Tifa,” Rude breathed, and she began slowly stroking him, watching the way his abs clenched and flexed as her hand moved. He was so hot and solid in her hand, and she felt her own arousal renew as she began to pick up speed. His fingers dug into her hips as she experimented with pressure, and when he gave a soft grunt and thrusted up into her hand, she found herself quickly discovering what he enjoyed.

She felt powerful like this: perched atop him while she had him at his most vulnerable, groaning in pleasure beneath her. Tifa reached for one of his hands with her free one and guided him beneath her dress, grinning as his eyes snapped open in surprise.

“Fuck,” he hissed, and wasted no time in following her unspoken desires. Tifa gasped as he immediately thrust a pair of fingers into her, taking a moment to find the correct angle before he began to move in unison with her strokes.

“M’close,” Rude growled, his rhythm faltering as Tifa picked up her pace, watching his face in rapt fascination as his entire body seemed to clench and then he came with a low groan. She felt almost giddy with pride at the wrecked look on his face as he came down, and then Tifa noticed the small mess he had made across the back of her hand and his own stomach.

Biting her lip, Tifa reached over to grab a beach towel and gently cleaned them both until a twist of his fingers inside her had her gasping again. Her eyes snapped up to see him regarding her with a sly smirk, and Tifa chuckled and swatted at his chest. Rude laughed lowly, and then caught her gaze, raising his brow at her.

“Can you go again?” he asked, and Tifa considered for a moment before she reached down and took his wrist, gently pulling his hand from her.

“I don’t think so… I just… I was really enjoying touching you,” Tifa explained. Rude nodded and took the towel from her, wiping his hand before tossing it away and putting himself to rights. She was pleased to see that he left his shirt unbuttoned. After a moment he reached for her and pulled her down to rest against his chest, and Tifa sighed happily as she relaxed against him.

She felt sated and cared for as he held her, dropping a kiss to her hair and running his knuckles against the skin of her arm. Tifa couldn’t help but think that she couldn’t have asked for a better first date than the one they’d shared tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sorry.  
> Tifa's a lucky girl.  
> Comments and critique are always appreciated!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rude makes Tifa breakfast, and a friend makes their appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little fluff...

Rude shifted from sleep to awareness almost instantly, decades of training allowing him to assess his situation and surroundings effortlessly. He was in Tifa’s villa, in her bed, and the woman herself was asleep next to him with her hand resting heavily on his bare chest. Rude tilted his head to look at her, taking in the spread of her lashes over her cheeks and way her dark hair, still holding a slight curl from their date, flowed around her.

Last night had been… he still couldn’t quite believe that this was happening. Their dinner, and _after_ … Rude enjoyed how assertive she’d been. Unafraid to tell him or show him what she wanted, and he would never forget the way she looked while she was on top of him with him in her hand. He felt himself stirring again just thinking about it…

They hadn’t said much after, and he gotten the sense they didn’t really need to, until Tifa had asked him if he wanted to stay. Rude had held her until they’d fallen asleep, and the thought of spending more nights like that one with her was incredibly alluring.

She gave a soft sigh and her hand shifted, moving farther across his chest as Tifa turned closer to him. Rude felt a fond smile spread, and as he looked down at her peaceful face, he realized that he loved her. It wasn’t an earthshattering realization; in fact, he was pretty sure that he had loved her for quite some time. He just hadn’t let himself go there fully until it was real. 

Lashes fluttering, Tifa slowly shifted and stretched as she woke and opened her eyes. She found his gaze and grinned lazily before rolling and laying her head against his chest. Rude sighed as he wrapped her in his arms, feeling contentedness spread through him. The cool breeze coming through the window caused goosebumps to raise across the bare skin of her arm, and he pulled the sheets up around them.

“How long do we have?” Tifa breathed, tracing her nails across his shoulder. He glanced over to the wall opposite them.

“…Two hours.”

She hummed and then pushed herself up, sitting on her hip as she looked down at him with her hair tumbling around her shoulders. The morning light from the window behind her gave Tifa an almost ethereal glow, and he didn’t hesitate to reach up and run his knuckles across her cheek.

She was so beautiful…

“Do you want breakfast?” she asked him as she took his hand in hers, lacing their finger together. He nodded as he sat up, leaning towards her to wrap an arm around her shoulders and drop a kiss to the crown of her head.

“Let me cook for you?” he asked, and Tifa smiled and nodded.

“Okay.”

He kissed her once more before she slipped out of bed, making her way to the bathroom attached to the room while Rude dressed quickly. He didn’t bother buttoning up his shirt, knowing that she seemed to enjoy looking at him, and then headed through the house towards the kitchen. He examined the contents of her fridge before deciding on omelets, and then got to work.

He usually only cooked for himself when he was back home in Edge, so he made sure to take his time on their meals. Rude could hear her moving in the bedroom, going through drawers, and he was just flipping the second omelet when she entered the kitchen to join him.

He took a moment to look at her as she took a seat at the mall high-top table, admiring the expanse of long legs revealed beneath her navy shorts, making his way up to the flowy tan cropped shirt she wore and then—

Rude gave a sudden laugh when he saw that she wore his sunglasses. Tifa grinned at him as she slid them up to perch on the top of her head.

“Couldn’t help it,” she laughed, and he nodded his head as he continued with their breakfast. “That’s a good look for you.” He peered at her over his shoulder as she made a movement with her wrist, her finger pointed towards his bare feet and open shirt.

“Hmm… not exactly regulation,” Rude said wryly, plating up her omelet and moving to serve her.

“Don’t get me wrong, I like the way you look in the suit. But this is nice too,” Tifa complimented, and Rude lowered his head to kiss her before taking his seat. It felt nice to be appreciated by her. They made quick work of their meals, enjoying the comfortable silence and the sound of the nearby ocean. When they had finished, Tifa cleared the table and then moved to stand between Rude’s legs. Seated atop the barstool, they were just about the same height, and his hands instinctively went to her waist.

“I don’t remember the last time someone made me breakfast,” Tifa said, resting her hands on his shoulders. “Thank you.” He brushed his thumbs against the exposed skin of her waist, enjoying the way she bit her lip at his touch.

“You’re welcome,” Rude replied, drawing her closer to him until her hips were caught between his thighs.

“And… thank you for last night,” she continued, and he thought she meant their dinner until he caught the reddened hue in her cheeks. Tifa moved closer again, licking her lips as she toyed with the collar of his shirt. “I’ve never… um…” she paused and dropped her gaze, and sensing her embarrassment, Rude lifted a hand to softly cup her face.

“I know,” Rude said, and kissed her, taking a moment to move his mouth against hers until he could feel the tension leave her. He broke the kiss and gave her a soft smile. “You were perfect.” She exhaled a laugh, and he was glad to see that her earlier embarrassment had faded. He didn’t ever want her to be uncomfortable around him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy,” Tifa breathed, and Rude felt his chest clench at her words, because he knew that _he’d_ never been this happy. He opened his mouth to tell her so, when his PHS gave a sudden chime from his pocket. Giving her an apologetic glance, he reached for his phone while she reluctantly stepped back to give him some space.

_Reno._

Damn him. Rude sighed and flipped his phone on, holding it up to his ear and hoping that there wasn’t a situation.

“Yeah?”

 _“Hey man, you’ve got incoming. I tried to run interference, but—_ ”

The sudden sound of the front door to the villa slamming open—he knew it had been locked, he double-checked it last night—had both he and Tifa reacting instantly. They moved together in a flash, falling into similar fighting stances shoulder-to-shoulder and snapping their attention towards the entrance. In the split second it took to identify the threat, Rude felt his hopes for filling his remaining hour off with Tifa’s kisses being whisked away.

“Oh my _gawd_ , you got _fucking shot!_ ”

*

*

*

Excitement over seeing her friend warred with disappointment as Rude took his leave, and Tifa and Yuffie stood in silence for a long moment when the door shut before the younger woman turned to her with disbelieving eyes.

“Are you _tapping that_?” she exclaimed, and Tifa couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She loved Yuffie, but she really hadn’t been prepared to see her so soon. “I mean, I get it: baldy really knows how to fill out a suit. And _damn_ , who knew he’s been hiding those abs! But a _Turk_? C’mon Teef, what the hell are you thinking?”

She reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose with a deep sigh, calling on all of her substantial patience to deal with the ninja’s prodding. She knew this wouldn’t be smooth sailing when her friends found out about her relationship, but she also thought she’d have a little more time to just enjoy being with him without any outside opinions.

“We just started dating. And I know what he is, but things have changed. He makes me happy, Yuffie,” Tifa told her, and the ninja’s dark eyes narrowed on her for a long moment. Tifa folded her arms across her chest with her features set in a stern expression, making sure Yuffie understood how serious she was about this.

Finally, Yuffie gave a sigh and her posture relaxed. She threw her arms in the air before plopping down onto the sofa with an exaggerated sigh.

“Sheesh, okay, whatever,” Yuffie huffed, smoothing down the fabric of her royal blue tank top. It appeared she had dressed for the weather, as Tifa could see the bright green strings of her bikini top wrapping around to tie at the back of her neck. “Now, what the hell happened in Junon? Reeve got a report that someone tried to off Shinra and you got shot instead?”

Grateful for the change in subject, Tifa relaxed and moved to join her on the couch.

“What are you doing going through Reeve’s reports?” Tifa asked, and the ninja rolled her eyes.

“C’mon, it was just laying there on the top of his desk. Practically begging me to take a peek,” Yuffie said, and Tifa gave her a raised brow before proceeding to tell her what had happened during her tour with Rufus.

“You’re telling me that you actually took a bullet for that blonde douche? I mean, yeah, he’s _waaaay_ better than he used to be. But Teef, you’re worth, like, a hundred of him,” Yuffie told her, and Tifa couldn’t help but shake her head. She didn’t think that there was much she could say at the moment that wouldn’t end up with them arguing, so she decided to change the subject.

“How long are you here for?” Tifa asked her, and Yuffie grinned.

“Getting picked up in Corel in three days,” the ninja replied, giving her an expectant look. Tifa knew what she was fishing for, so she gave a shake of her head and smiled at the younger woman.

“Dahlia and I can take you,” she told her, and Yuffie beamed.

“Awesome! You okay with me crashing here, or do you want alone time with your little Turk-toy?” Yuffie teased, and Tifa gave her a playful shove. She did want more time with Rude, especially alone, but as he had told her once: there was no rush.

“Shut up,” Tifa mumbled, and they laughed together for a moment before Yuffie looked at her with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

“You sure about this, Teef?”

Tifa exhaled and turned to face her friend fully, giving Yuffie a warm, reassuring smile that she hoped would assure the ninja that she truly meant her words.

“I’m sure,” Tifa promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who else loves Yuffie? She'll be sticking around for a bit.  
> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments and critique are always appreciated!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reno is a good partner, and Yuffie makes an impact...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Yuffie, and can't wait until she shows up in the remake. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long...

Reno had been more than a little elated when Rude hadn’t returned to the condo last night. He knew better than anyone how much his partner cared about Tifa, and he hadn’t been blind to the growing closeness between them. Nevertheless, Reno had been mentally compiling a series of questions to hurl Rude’s way when that damned ninja had to go and ruin his good mood. Their WRO man at the docks had reported her arrival via chopper, and he had rushed out the door with his shorts still untied in an effort to head her off.

When he’d reached the entrance to the docks and found that he’d just managed to miss her, Reno had tried to warn Rude, but he had been too late.

His partner had returned to the condo a few minutes after abruptly hanging up on him, and Reno couldn’t help but commiserate with the way he seemed to drag his feet as he entered.

“Awe man, I tried. She bust in on you guys?” Reno asked, and Rude huffed as he headed up to their room. The red head followed, grinning as a faint redness appeared on his fellow Turk’s cheeks.

“…Another couple of minutes and I’d have been upset,” Rude allowed, grabbing a handful of clothes from his drawer and stepping behind the screen to change. Reno laughed and fell back onto his bed, laying with his hand behind his head.

“You lucky bastard. I take it you had a good time?”

“…”

“That good huh?” Reno teased, and Rude stepped out from the screen, thankfully having the sense to abandon his typical suit for a short-sleeved purple button-up and a pair of black shorts.

“We had a good time,” Rude finally relented, and Reno gave him a wide grin. Rude huffed and shook his head, but there was a happy little smile on his face that told the red head all he needed to know. He had known Rude for a good chunk of his life, and he knew that there was only one other woman aside from Tifa that he’d held feelings for.

He was confident that this time his partner had found someone who could be trusted not to stab him in the back.

*

*

*

Peeling the label from his bottle of beer, Reno couldn’t help the warring feelings of anticipation and wariness that rose in him when Rude reported that Tifa and Yuffie were bringing them lunch. On the one hand, he actually did enjoy hanging out with Tifa. And seeing the way that she and Rude acted around each other was pretty damn entertaining. On the other hand, Yuffie was notorious for her skill of annoying the hell out of people.

Whatever, he was just hungry.

Rufus had continued to impress upon them that they were to relax while they were in Costa, and that he trusted them to remain aware of their surroundings while still having fun. Tseng had taken Elena out into the city, shopping or some crap like that, and they didn’t plan on being back for another couple of hours.

He heard them before he saw them; a shrill cackle that he _knew_ could never come from Tifa, and then they stepped out onto the patio and Reno took a long drink from his beer. He would need it.

“Hey losers, we brought you some food,” he heard the ninja say, followed by Tifa’s mumbled reprimand. Fighting a scowl, Reno shifted to look out at the ocean in an attempt to ignore the newcomer for as long as possible.

“Thank you, ladies,” Rufus said, and Rude echoed him a moment later.

“Whatever, Tifa paid,” Yuffie replied, and then dropped a take-out box in Reno’s lap as she walked by. He nearly fell out of his chair, the box falling precariously close to the goods, and he bit back a curse as he straightened. Tifa gripped his shoulder as she followed the ninja, offering him an apologetic expression as she went.

Stupid freaking ninja.

He distracted himself by opening the box, grinning at the massive grilled chicken sandwich, and wasted no time shoving the corner into his mouth. Reno was just beginning to get comfortable in his chair again when he looked back towards the woman and nearly choked on his food.

Tifa and Yuffie had set up their chairs on the beach just past the veranda, and the as they stripped down to their swimsuits, he felt his mind go blank. Obviously, Tifa was quite the sight in her pretty little get-up, but he was shocked when he noticed that she apparently wasn’t the only one with a rocking bod. He stared in astonishment as Yuffie, her back to him, slowly pulled her shorts down her long legs to reveal a teeny tiny, bright green bikini. Though, calling it a bikini would have been incorrect…

It was so small it was practically a thong.

And _fuck_ , but someone had filled out in the past few years.

He instantly felt like the world’s biggest perv, and Reno frantically did some math in his head in an attempt to make himself feel better. She wasn’t a teenager anymore, but for some reason that didn’t really help his mindset at all as he tactfully adjusted the to-go box on his lap.

“You might as well take a picture carrot-top, if you like the view so much,” Yuffie called, not even bothering to look back at him, and he froze. Had he really been so obvious?

Stupid freaking ninja.

He swallowed heavily, unable to enjoy the taste of his sandwich as he tried to distract himself from the realization that Yuffie Kisaragi was a damn hottie. This was bad. This was worse than bad. She was definitely in the no-touch category, and for a long-ass list of reasons.

They worked together. (That never ended well.) She was annoying. She had proclaimed her eternal hatred of all things Shinra. She was way too young for him. _But still legal_ , his treacherous inner voice reminded him. All of these thoughts rushed through his mind in the few seconds after she spoke and before he managed to come up with a retort.

“Just wondering what that blinding light was. Have you _ever_ seen the sun?” Reno drawled, and the ninja let out an annoyed huff.

“My skin in _porcelain_! Freaking flawless. And you’re one to talk, you practically blend in with the sand,” Yuffie drawled, settling herself in the lounge chair and hiding her pert little ass from his view.

He didn’t know if he was relieved or disappointed.

“Whatever, you know you like what you see,” Reno said, taking another drink from his beer.

“I didn’t say I didn’t,” Yuffie said nonchalantly, and he nearly choked. That… had been unexpected. He leaned back, eyes glued to her where she laid fully relaxed on the lounge chair, and he found his brow furrowing as his mind tried to make sense of what the fuck he was feeling at the moment.

*

*

*

Although he did an admirable job of hiding it, Tseng could sense that something was on Reno’s mind. He acted and spoke much the same as always, but there was a subtle tension in his frame and a hint of conflict in his eyes. Tseng believed, after a period of reconnaissance, that it was due to their current guest.

He and Elena had returned to the condo to find Lockhart and Yuffie Kisaragi down on the beach, and Reno and the ninja had been at each other relentlessly. Tseng couldn’t tell if they were flirting or insulting each other, but he was fairly certain it was a bit of both. And that they were both enjoying it equally.

What an interesting development.

They had all moved under the veranda to escape from the unusually hot afternoon weather—even for Costa—and Tifa and Rude had brought them all drinks to cool down with.

“Really gonna miss this, Teef. You made the best drinks at your bar,” Kisaragi said mournfully, raising her glass at the fighter before she took a long swig.

“You weren’t even old enough to drink for most of the time it was open,” Tifa teased, and Reno’s almost imperceptible wince failed to escape his notice. Ah… so that was what had him so conflicted. Well, the heir to Wutai _was_ on the young side, but she had proven herself quite capable in her work with the WRO of late.

“Yeah, well, they made an impression. So, Reeve said that they finished their analysis on whatever was left of that hoverboard the assassin used,” Kisaragi said, and Tseng straightened in his seat.

“And?” he prompted.

“Matches components used in Deepground tech,” the ninja said, and the mood of the group shifted. Deepground had been another ghost from Shinra’s past come back to bite them in the ass. It had taken all of them to help stop them, and Tseng had been sure that the remains of the Tsviets had been eradicated.

“Could it have been stolen? Grabbed in the battle against Omega?” Elena offered, and Kisaragi shrugged in response.

“Maybe. Having a hard time making any kind of identification, because someone decided to pancake the dude’s face on the concrete,” the ninja groused, sending a glare towards Rude and Reno.

“You’re welcome,” Reno replied smoothly, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

“It’s still strange,” Lockhart said, interrupting Kisaragi before she could speak again. “You’d think that if this was organized then someone would take credit.” Tseng nodded, recalling that the woman had also been a part of AVALANCHE, who hadn’t hesitated to put their name on anything they did to stick it to Shinra.

He had a bad feeling about this whole situation.

Assassination attempts were nothing new for them, but they had always been able to trace the assassin or discern who was behind the attempt. The hints of Deepground, the timing of the attack, and the fact that they were targeting Rufus—who’s presence in the WRO was relatively minor these days—seemed to point towards motives that he couldn’t quite grasp.

As much as he was enjoying their time here in Costa, especially with Elena by his side, Tseng was anxious to get back to work. He wanted to get to the bottom of this, and didn’t think that he’d be able to fully relax until he did.

Looking around at his fellow Turks, Rufus, and Lockhart and Kisaragi, he was pretty sure that he wasn’t the only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Reno and Yuffie are one of my favorite rare pairings.  
> Hope you guys like it too! Thank you for reading!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa catches up with Yuffie, and the Turks invite them over for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more Yuffie goodness for your enjoyment.

As much as she’d been looking forward to spending more time with Rude, Tifa was definitely enjoying Yuffie’s company. Her ribs hurt from laughing as the ninja regaled her with stories about all of the shenanigans she’d gotten up to on behalf of her WRO work while they walked the lively streets of Costa. Yuffie had roped Tifa into joining her for a morning of shopping, though neither of them had actually purchased anything yet, and she was glad to be in the company of one of her best friends.

“So, I look up, and the furry little bastard is _riding_ the Zemzellet! Yanking on the thing’s ears to steer it! Made it crash right into the ark dragon, took em both out, and then he hops up and is like, ‘ _Ye think Reeve’ll make me one of those?_ ’” Yuffie finished, doing an admirable job of mimicking Cait Sith’s accent. Tifa held her side as she laughed, reaching up to swipe at the tears in the corners of her eyes.

“Oh gods, that is a terrible idea,” Tifa said, shaking her head. The little cat was enough of a nuisance without the ability to fly. “I’m surprised Reeve still sends him out.”

“Yeah, well, I think he secretly hates office life and gets his rocks off vicariously. I mean, how freaking _boring_ would it be to have his job?” Yuffie mused, tapping her fingers along a few hanging necklaces made from seashells as they walked by the tourist stands.

“Well, it seems like he’s doing the job well, whether he likes it or not,” Tifa offered, and the ninja gave a shrug.

“Yeah, whatever. Been pulling his hair out about this stupid assassin business, though. On top of all the other crap he has to deal with right now,” she replied, and Tifa gave her friend a curious look. Yuffie sighed and leaned in close. “So, there have been a bunch of disappearances. Reports from Mideel, Icicle, even the outskirts of Wutai.”

Well, that wasn’t good news.

“What? Disappearances? Do you guys have any idea who’s behind it?” Tifa asked, linking arms with Yuffie and pulling discreetly pulling her away from the stalls. The ninja had been eying the owner, and Tifa knew that her thieving proclivities hadn’t faded since their traveling days. Better not to tempt her.

“No idea. But Vinnie’s on it. Up in Icicle right now,” Yuffie said, apparently unaware of Tifa’s redirection. The fighter frowned as they passed through the rest of the tourist alley, her mind occupied with the news she’d just been given. Whatever it was that was happening, they’d figure it out. Between the efforts of Vincent, Yuffie and Reeve, it was just a matter of when.

“Hmm… so what are you doing in Corel?” Tifa asked the younger woman as they headed back towards the villa.

“Reeve has a meeting there. He’s gonna pick me up, then we’re headed back to Edge. Work, work, work,” she grumbled, drawing a grin from Tifa. She couldn’t help but be excited to see everyone in Corel soon. Even though she talked to the kids every day, she missed them a great deal. She’d have to think of something special to do with them when they were all together again.

*

*

*

It was almost surreal to watch the way that Tifa acted around Rufus and his Turks. Yuffie made sure to keep an eye on them as much as possible, but to her surprise, it seemed as though the fighter and the former-Shinra bad guys actually _liked_ each other. Her friend was smiling and laughing unrestrainedly, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Rude and holding hands under the table.

And _oh boy_ did she ever remember what that man had said all those years ago in Gongaga. She had sat up in the tent that night with Aerith and Tifa, teasing the fighter until her face turned bright red about the Turk’s little crush. Yuffie herself had been the one to comment about how hot he was, and now she couldn’t help but wonder if they’d somehow managed to plant that little seed in Tifa’s mind that had resulted in the fighter allowing herself to open that door. 

All of them had wondered how long Tifa would wait for Cloud, letting her life pass her by in the hopes that he would notice that she’d been the one who was always at his side. She still couldn’t believe how much of a dumbass that spiky-headed SOLDIER had been. It was obvious that Tifa had had feelings for him for _years_ , but the idiot had never truly appreciated her.

Maybe that had been a good thing though.

Because there was something about the way Tifa was with Rude that seemed… healthier than how she had been around Cloud. Cloud was a needy, moody, emo drama-queen. Yuffie had the feeling that Tifa would’ve spent all of her time and effort making sure he was okay, rather than focusing on her own happiness.

She watched them for a moment, the pair looking down at something on Tifa’s phone, and she was surprised to see the usually reserved man smile warmly at her friend. He was… different than she assumed. It wasn’t anything overt, but Yuffie could tell that he had some goddamn _layers_ to him that Tifa was probably getting to see. 

They were a good match, she could confess, especially because he seemed so freaking stable. She didn’t think that Rude was the kind of person who needed someone to tip-toe around him, or constantly make sure that he was alright.

It made it a bit easier to accept the fact that her best friend was dating a Turk.

The sound of something sizzling caught her attention, and Yuffie looked away from the couple as she leaned back in her chair and peeked into the kitchen. Reno was… she didn’t really know what to call it, _dancing_ maybe? Whatever it was, he was doing it around the kitchen, juggling multiple plates and skillets, and Yuffie could admit to herself that a man who could cook was definitely a turn on.

Yeah, he was still an asshole. But he was _really_ nice to look at…

And, reluctant as she was to admit it, it had been kinda fun verbally sparring with the red head since she had arrived. He was quick-witted, creative, and even through the insults she _knew_ that he had been checking her out every time they were around each other. Nothing like a little ego boost to perk her up.

“Dinner is served,” Reno announced with an exaggerated bow, and Tseng and Elena hopped up from their seats to help him carry out the plates to the table. He had made a sort of seafood stir-fry, Costan style, and had cooked up just about every side dish she could think of. Everything smelled wonderful, and she didn’t hesitate to dig in.

“Oh my _gawd_ ,” Yuffie moaned around a mouthful of delicious shrimp and peppers, and Reno grinned smugly.

“You like that?” Reno purred, and the ninja gave him a shrug, feigning indifference.

“I’ve had better,” she quipped, taking another bite as Tifa huffed a laugh and shook her head. The red head gave her a tight-lipped smile while simultaneously flipping her the bird, and she couldn’t help but feel like this was the most fun she’d had in some time. As much as she liked giving people shit, there weren’t a ton of people who could look past their annoyance and give it _back_.

“You know, you should be a bit more grateful. Reno did save your life that one time,” Tifa said slyly, and the ninja paused, her cheeks full of food as she regarded her friend with wide eyes. When the hell had—

 _Oh_.

“Mm, in Wutai,” Rude commented as he caught on, and Elena gave a groan and brought a hand to her forehead.

“Oh gods,” the blonde Turk mumbled, and Yuffie took a moment to swallow down her food before she shot a glare at Tifa. While not a particularly traumatic event in her life— the disgusting old man hadn’t actually done anything to them before their rescue—it was an embarrassment that she had no desire to share with everyone there.

“Ah yes, Don Corneo,” Tseng said, and he looked as though he were attempting to hide a smile behind the rim of his glass.

“Ugh, that old perv! And I wasn’t the only one he creeped on! Tifa, what about Wall Market?” Yuffie goaded, and the fighter bit her lip as her cheeks reddened. _Take that you traitor!_

“Whoa, I sense a story here! Come on Lockhart, lets hear it!” Reno prodded excitedly, and Tifa rolled her eyes.

“Not much to tell. This was back in Midgar, when I was with AVALANCHE. I heard Corneo had information about Barret, so I… infiltrated…” Tifa said cagily, and Yuffie bared her teeth in a grin.

“The way I heard it, you got all dressed up in this hot little outfit, got picked to be his bride for the night, and then Cloud and Aerith had to come and save you!” the ninja regaled their highly interested audience, jabbing a finger at her friend.

“They did not! I mean, they came, but I had it handled. Better than you, hanging upside down on the side of a mountain,” Tifa retorted, and Yuffie rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. You guys did all the heavy lifting, fighting his freaky pet. All Reno did was kick the perv off the mountain,” Yuffie said, waving her arm before taking another bite of her food.

“Good riddance,” Elena muttered, raising a glass to the red head.

“And didn’t you steal everybody’s materia? And they _still_ came to bail you out?” Reno asked, propping his chin on his fist and sending Yuffie a smug smirk. Asshole.

“What can I say? I made an impression,” she replied with a flutter of her eyelashes, and Tifa huffed in amusement.

“That you did. Didn’t matter that we were angry at you, we wouldn’t have left anyone at Corneo’s mercy,” Tifa told her, and Yuffie restrained a shudder at the thought of what could have happened to her. The whole situation could have ended so much worse. She wouldn’t ever say so, but she had been beyond grateful that they had looked past her betrayal and saved her that day.

“I always despised that man. Hated that my father allowed him to stay in power in Wall Market,” Rufus said, the first words he’d spoken so far that night. Yuffie couldn’t help but remember how she and Vincent had found him in the ruins of Shinra Tower, in such horrible shape they’d thought him dead.

They had been working with Reeve and the Turks—the first collaboration, and they’d thought at the time that it would be the last thing they did—to help evacuate everyone beneath the plate. It had been Yuffie who had seen the pale, too-still hand sticking out from the rubble, and Vincent who had used his superhuman strength to uncover him.

She still wasn’t sure how he had managed to survive. They’d all seen Diamond Weapon’s blast, watched as the Shinra Tower had gone down in flames, and most of them hadn’t been sorry to see it happen. And now here she was, surrounded by former enemies and eating a surprisingly friendly dinner with them.

Funny how things turned out.

With half her mind on the conversations over the meal, Yuffie couldn’t help but admire the Shinra condo. She had already seen that there were expensive pieces of artwork and was curious if there were any other treasures stashed on the premises. Yeah, she didn’t _really_ need to steal things anymore, but it was a bit of a habit by now.

The only thing holding her back was the fact that both Tseng and Reno seemed to be watching her. Tseng she could understand—she doubted that the man understood the term ‘down time’—but Reno… well, at the very least she could have a little fun there.

He was highly entertaining to tease after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments and critique are always appreciated.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa and Yuffie leave Costa del Sol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little transition leading up to Corel.

Closing up the villa went a bit too quickly for Tifa’s liking. Not that she didn’t appreciate Yuffie’s help in taking care of everything, but she was well aware that once they left Costa she had no idea for sure when she would get to see Rude again. Yeah, they had their PHS messages, and she was pretty sure she’d be able to call him regularly, but Tifa had enjoyed the closeness they’d been able to share on this little vacation.

It definitely helped her to realize that this wasn’t just a passing infatuation. They had been lucky to get to know each other and grow closer—emotionally _and_ physically—during their stay, and she really cared about him, and could tell that he shared her feelings. This was real, and Tifa was emboldened with the knowledge that they were both committed to making it work.

She leaned against the wall outside the villa, shading her eyes as she picked out the familiar figures approaching from the docks. Yuffie led Dahlia—on of the few people the chocobo tolerated other than herself, ironic because in a couple of hours the ninja would likely be puking from their ride—and the ebony bird seemed to vibrate with the excitement that she’d soon be stretching her legs outside the city.

“Damn, that’s a good-looking bird.”

Tifa turned at the voice, pleasantly surprised to find Rude, Reno and Rufus approaching from the direction of the villa. Reno peered over the rims of his sunglasses at Dahlia and Yuffie before letting out a low whistle of appreciation.

“Aw, thanks asshole,” Yuffie drawled, throwing the Turk a wink. Reno rolled his eyes before nodding his head at Tifa, giving her a wide smile.

“See ya, Lockhart. Try not to let her drive you nuts on the ride out,” he said, and she gave him a smile in return.

“Bye, Reno.”

“Miss Lockhart,” Rufus said, and then reached for her hand before bringing it up and placing a barely-there-kiss on the backs of her knuckles. Tifa was so surprised that she couldn’t react, and the former president merely chuckled and released her before following Reno in Yuffie’s direction.

What was that about?

Dahlia, seeing Tifa waiting ahead, yanked her lead from Yuffie’s hand and trotted towards her, chirping excitedly as the fighter broke from her surprise at Rufus’s gesture and reached for her. She scratched her behind her ears, right where she knew the bird loved, and Dahlia gave a full body shiver.

“Hey girl, you ready to run?”

“Wark!”

Tifa chuckled at the chocobo as Rude moved to her side, pulling off his glasses and standing before Dahlia with a faint smile. The bird fluffed her feathers and cooed softly at the Turk, dropping her head slightly to stare at him. She had been waiting for the time to introduce them, and the fighter felt excited that they both seemed happy to meet each other.

Grinning, Tifa reached for him, taking the back of his hand and moving towards the bird. She placed his palm on Dahlia’s neck, and Rude quickly took over, running his fingers through her feathers as the chocobo gave a soft coo and relaxed into his touch.

“She’s in really good shape. Used to race?” Rude asked, and Tifa nodded.

“S Class. I raced her all the way up,” she replied proudly, glancing over her shoulder to see Reno handing Yuffie a card while Rufus looked down at something on his phone.

“Sharing information about the assassin and the disappearances. We’ll be working on it more when we head back to Edge in a few days,” Rude provided, and Tifa gave a hum in reply as he lowered his hand from Dahlia and turned back to her. “I could keep you informed, if you want.”

“I’d appreciate that,” she said softly, stepping closer and taking his hand in hers. “I… I’m glad we got be here together. I’m gonna miss you.” Rude smiled at her words, and didn’t hesitate to wrap his free hand around her waist and pull her in for a kiss. Tifa sighed and relaxed against his chest, letting him take the lead as he leaned over her.

“Oh yeah! Don’t stop”

They broke their kiss reluctantly, and Rude gave a low growl as he turned to see Reno and Yuffie both watched them with matching grins. Rufus even looked a bit entertained, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the nearby wall. Tifa ducked her head with a huff, tucking her hair behind her ear and biting her lip to restrain her smile.

“Get a room!” Yuffie added, rolling her eyes as she stepped towards them. Tifa sighed, feeling exceedingly happy in that moment, and then looked back up to Rude. His gaze was warm as he stared down at her with those lovely hazel eyes, and she bounced up on her toes to give him one last peck on the lips.

“So… I’ll call you when we get to Corel then,” she said, and Rude nodded as he slipped his glasses back on.

“Travel safe,” Rude said, helping her strap her pack to Dahlia’s saddle before boosting her up. She smiled down at him, her throat feeling uncomfortably tight as he stepped back to allow Yuffie room to mount. The ninja lifted her hand to flip off Reno, who stood a few feet behind her, and then, in a move Tifa couldn’t have predicted in her wildest dreams—Yuffie whipped her hand forward and slapped Rude’s ass with a resounding ‘smack.’

The Turk jumped and jerked forward in surprise, his brows raising above the rims of his glasses as Yuffie cackled and swung herself up onto Dahlia in a smooth, swift motion. Reno howled in laughter, but Tifa could only gape at her friend.

“See you later, losers!” Yuffie called, slapping Dahlia’s flank as she spoke. The chocobo gave an affronted ‘wark’ and took off, bolting up the cobblestone street and hurrying towards the edge of the city. Tifa managed to grip the bird’s reins and slow her, but they were already too far to stop now.

“Oh my gods, Yuffie! I can’t believe you did that!” Tifa exclaimed, though the smile on her face was at war with her tone. The ninja just gripped the back of Tifa’s belt and laughed in her ear.

“Whatever, you’re just jealous I got my hand on that fine ass,” Yuffie teased, and Tifa let herself laugh out loud at her words.

Because she wasn’t wrong.

*

*

*

The end of their journey to Corel was much less jovial than the beginning. Yuffie managed to last quite a long time before the movements atop Dahlia that Tifa found so relaxing caused the younger woman to turn white, then green, and then they’d had to stop three times for her to dismount and puke.

“Oh, thank Leviathan,” Yuffie breathed as the town came into view, and Tifa reached back to pat her leg soothingly. There weren’t stables here, but a small farm right on the edge of Corel was always happy to put up Dahlia for her. Tifa hopped down and made arrangements, and by the time the farmer’s son followed her out to care for the chocobo, Yuffie had semi-recovered.

She stood against the railing with both their packs on her shoulder, and as they helped Dahlia settle in the fenced in area outside the farm, Yuffie’s PHS gave a chime. She groaned, holding out Tifa’s pack to her as she dug around in her own bag for her phone. Tifa watched in fascination as the ninja’s face lit up for a split second before she schooled her features and rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance.

“Um… what was that?” Tifa asked, trying to peek at her screen. Yuffie snapped her phone away from view, her eyes widening suspiciously.

“Nothing. Just work stuff,” she said quickly, shoving her phone into her pocket as Tifa gave a short laugh.

“Yuffie, there is _no way_ that was ‘just work stuff,’” she pressed, and the ninja rolled her eyes again before she turned and started to head towards Corel. Tifa hurried after her, bumping the younger woman’s shoulder with her own. “Come on, who was that?”

“Ugh, it was just Reno, gawd,” Yuffie mumbled, and Tifa’s mouth dropped open. If she reacted that way to a simple message, then…

“You _like_ him!”

“Gross! No!” Yuffie protested, rearing back with a disgusted look on her face. Tifa was perceptive enough to detect the hint of panic in her eyes. “No way. It’s just work crap, Teef.”

“I don’t know… I can see it,” Tifa said as she tapped a finger to her chin, stepping forward and walking just slightly ahead of her.

“There’s nothing to see!” Yuffie growled, hurrying to match her pace. “You’re the one who has a thing for Turks, _not_ me!”

“If you say so.”

“I do!”

“Fine.”

“Fine!”

…

…

“He is kinda hot though.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be a fluffy little reunion with Denzel and Marlene!  
> And maybe a little drama...  
> Thank you for reading, comments and critique are always appreciated!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa arrives in Corel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A happy little reunion, and then Barret finds out about Tifa and Rude.

Marlene and Denzel had been glued to Tifa’s side since the moment she walked into the Wallace’s home. Alana had welcomed Yuffie and herself like family, settling Tifa in the spare room while she ordered the ninja to clean herself up and relax. Barret was still at work, but would be home soon, and for now Marlene and Denzel took it upon themselves to tell Tifa all about school and the things they had been up to since moving.

She was so happy to be with them again that she had to fight back tears. Even though most of the things they were telling her about had already been shared through calls and messages, she listened in rapt attention to their every word.

“Is Dahlia here too? Can we go ride her?” Marlene asked excitedly, her big brown eyes bright with excitement.

“Of course you can. We’re here for a week or so, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to ride after school or this weekend,” Tifa replied with an indulgent smile.

“Did you fight any monsters on your way?” Denzel asked, and Tifa huffed a laugh.

“Dahlia’s faster than any monsters that might try to attack us,” she answered, and the boy’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. Tifa decided that mentioning the assassination probably wasn’t a great idea, and instead brought up something that had been on her mind. “But hey, I was thinking… if you two do good in school these next two days, how about we take a trip to the Golden Saucer on Saturday?”

Their faces lit up at her suggestion, and they both looked at each other and then proceeded to jump up and down in celebration.

“Yeah!”

“For real?! Yay!”

“And Cloud will be here too!”

“Now what’s the deal with all this noise, huh?”

Tifa turned at the familiar voice to see Barret grinning at them from the doorway, the large man wearing his trademark green pants and a gray tactical vest open at the chest. As he stepped forward Reeve appeared, slipping inside and closing the door behind them with a small smile.

“Daddy! We’re going to the Golden Saucer with Tifa!” Marlene exclaimed, clasping her hands together in front of her. Barret gave his daughter an adoring smile and laid a hand on her head.

“Is that right?”

“Nobody’s going nowhere unless pajamas are on and teeth are brushed! Come on kids, bedtime! You’ve got school in the morning,” Alana said as she moved from the kitchen into the living room. Marlene and Denzel groaned but complied, shuffling down the hall as Alana walked over to Barret and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Hey, baby,” Barret said, smiling at his wife before he turned and pulled Reeve farther into the room. By this time Tifa had stood from the table and went happily to her friends, giving the head of the WRO a warm hug.

“Tifa, so nice to see you again,” Reeve told her.

“You too. Yuffie’s in the back. Rough ride,” Tifa said, and Reeve winced in sympathy. There was no need to elaborate, they were all well aware of the ninja’s reactions to any form of travel.

“Come here, Teef,” Barret pulled her away from Reeve and embraced her tightly, lifting her off of her feet with a roar. She laughed, taking a moment to find her balance when he set her back on her feet again. “You look good, girl. Whatever you’ve been doing is working for you.” Tifa felt her face heat up as she considered who was partly responsible for her recent happiness, and she caught Reeve’s amused expression from behind Barret.

Looks like he was at least partially aware too.

She was saved by Yuffie, who blew into the room as though she hadn’t just spent the last few hours puking all over the countryside.

“Heya boss-man, what’s up?” Yuffie called, skipping through the living room and perching on the back of the sofa.

“Yo, what am I? Chopped liver?” Barret sniped, and Yuffie snorted. “Ain’t like it’s my house or anything.”

“Well, yeah, it’s Alana’s house,” Yuffie retorted, and there was a brief moment where no one moved or spoke, until Barret shrugged his shoulders and relaxed.

“True.”

Tifa let out a laugh and was joined by Reeve, and as they all moved to settle in the living room Alana excused herself to make sure the kids were getting to bed. They waited a moment, making sure that no little ears were listening, and then Reeve turned to her with a serious expression.

“I’m very glad you are alright, Tifa. Tseng told me about what happened in Junon,” Reeve said, and Tifa’s eyes snapped over to Barret, who was looking at her with a tight-lipped frown but didn’t appear overly surprised.

So, he knew.

“Thanks Reeve, it wasn’t serious. Yuffie told me that there have been disappearances… what’s going on?” Tifa asked, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. Reeve sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pushing it up out of his eyes.

“We really don’t know. Mideel has reported the highest number of disappearances, followed by Icicle. And both areas have reported an increase in monster attacks,” he told them, and Tifa noted that he looked much more tired than the last time she saw him.

“But,” Yuffie added, twirling a kunai on her finger, “They might not be related. Monster attacks usually leave a nasty little mess. These people are vanishing without a trace.”

“Who you got on it?” Barret asked, folding his arms across his chest.

“Vincent is in Icicle, we have Shelke’s team down in Mideel, and Yuffie and I are headed to Wutai tonight,” Reeve replied.

“And what about the asshole who shot Tifa?” the gunman growled. She had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from grinning at his overprotective manner.

“No affiliations, as far as we can tell. They’re still working on identifying him,” Yuffie piped in, now flipping her knife into the air and catching it on the tip of her finger.

“Why’s it takin so damn long?”

“The Turks took out his hoverboard from twenty stories up. He, ahem, broke his fall with his face,” Reeve said with a grimace, but Barret just let out a bark of laughter and nodded his head.

“Least they’re good for somethin’!”

Tifa felt a heavy weight settle in her stomach at his words and swallowed heavily, doing her best to not allow her expression to give her away. She had hoped that he had let go of some of his old prejudices by now… maybe it was just habit that he would insult the Turks…

“Whatever. Reeve, we gotta get going. Dad’s expecting us by morning,” Yuffie said, her kunai mysteriously disappearing as she swung to her feet and went to hug Tifa. She gave her an extra squeeze, holding on long enough for the fighter to wonder what was going on.

“Don’t worry bout it, Teef,” Yuffie whispered in her ear, and Tifa felt her eyes burn at her friend’s simple words of support.

“I’m glad you came to Costa,” Tifa told her when they broke apart, and Yuffie beamed in response. They all said their goodbyes, Reeve promising to keep them appraised of any new discoveries, and then left the Wallace house to depart to Wutai.

Alana returned then, and Barret went to speak with her in the kitchen while Tifa excused herself to her room. She took a quick shower and got ready for bed, grabbing her PHS and stepping out onto the balcony of her room to call Rude. The phone rang twice before he answered, and Tifa couldn’t help but smile broadly at the sound of his voice.

_“Hello.”_

“Hey…”

 _“Hey. You made it to Corel alright?_ ” Rude asked, and Tifa heard the muffled sound of Reno’s teasing voice before a door shut. She restrained a laugh.

“Yeah. Yuffie and Reeve just left for Wutai. It’s so great to see the kids too. We’re all going to go to the Golden Saucer this weekend,” Tifa told him, leaning against the railing and looking out at the landscape below.

_“Hm, should be fun. Have they been before?”_

“Marlene has. Denzel hasn’t yet though, so he’s pretty excited. I’ve wanted to take them for a while,” Tifa replied.

“ _Why didn’t you?_ ” She paused, considering, and let out a long sigh.

“Well… I guess I kept putting it off because I didn’t want to leave the bar. And I wanted Cloud to come, but he wasn’t always there, so it was kind of impossible to plan. A lot of reasons, I suppose. None of them very good, now that I think about it,” Tifa answered quietly, feeling a little exposed.

 _“I didn’t want to pry, but… what changed? Why did you sell the bar and leave Edge?”_ Rude asked, his voice just as quiet as hers, and Tifa swallowed as she fought back tears. She had changed a great deal in such a short period of time, but remembering the way she had settled into a life that didn’t fulfil her was kind of painful now.

“I… I wasn’t happy. The kids were here in Corel, I was there alone. Wasn’t enjoying the work anymore. And I felt… trapped. Cloud was the one to suggest that I travel for a while. And I’m glad he did,” Tifa replied, proud of the fact that her voice didn’t betray her emotions.

 _“And are you happy now?”_ Rude asked, making her smile as she lifted her face to peer up at the stars. She appreciated how direct he could be sometimes.

“Yeah… I haven’t been this happy for a long time. You’ve played a big part in that, you know?” she told him.

 _“I’m glad to hear that… You make me happy too,”_ he replied softly, and she felt joy bloom in her chest at his statement. The way that he could make her feel with just a few simple words was still so new to her, but Tifa loved it. She opened her mouth to tell him so, but a long yawn came out instead. Rude chuckled across the line, Tifa joining him after a moment, and then she sighed.

“I should get to sleep. Gods know I’m gonna need my energy with the kids tomorrow,” Tifa said, though she was looking forward to spending time with them.

 _“Hm, good luck,_ ” he replied drolly, drawing another chuckled from Tifa.

“Yeah, thanks. Have fun with Reno and the others. Who knows when you’ll get another vacation,” she teased.

“ _Maybe next time it can be just the two of us,”_ Rude offered, his tone questioning.

“That sounds pretty nice,” Tifa answered, her mind already delving into the possibilities of what a vacation with him could entail. It was definitely appealing.

“ _Yeah. Goodnight, Tifa,_ ” Rude said, and Tifa was pretty sure she could hear the smile in his voice.

“Goodnight, Rude,” Tifa breathed, grinning softly to herself as she ended the call and stared down at the screen with a sigh. A sudden thump from behind her had Tifa jumping, whirling to look back into her room to see Barret standing in the doorway with an unreadable expression. For a split second she felt guilt well up inside her, knowing that he had heard her say Rude’s name, but she quickly quelled the feeling and stood tall.

She had nothing to feel guilty about.

“You takin personal calls from the Turks now?” Barret asked disbelievingly, and Tifa was thankful that he didn’t raise his voice. The last thing she needed was for Marlene and Denzel to walk in right now.

“No. Just my boyfriend,” Tifa replied, and though the word felt strange to say—not enough, not quite the right feeling that went with it—her voice didn’t waver. Barret’s lips twisted and he shook his head, clenching his fists at his sides.

“Boyfriend… What the hell, Teef? You’re talking about a _Turk_. Have you lost your damned mind?” he demanded, stepping closer as he spoke, his large frame towering over her. She wasn’t afraid of him; no matter how angry Barret was she knew that he’d never hurt her, but she didn’t like the way he was making her feel right now.

“No, Barret,” Tifa said, placing her hands on her hips and lifting her chin, “I haven’t.” She felt sick, her body threatening to tremble in response to the adrenalin rising in her.

“Can’t believe this. You forgetting all the shit they did? All the people they killed? Dammit Tifa, they dropped the _fuckin plate_!” Barret hissed the last two words in her face and Tifa a felt her eyes burning as her emotions bubbled up inside her.

Because she hadn’t forgotten. She never would. But it had been a long time since she’d held the destruction of Sector 7 against them. Tifa knew that if they hadn’t dropped the plate, someone else would have.

It had been in the hectic time after the remnants had been defeated when Reno had had a little too much to drink in her bar and confessed how much his role in that had affected him. He’d told her that he hadn’t really cared for a long time whether he lived or died. That he had it coming, for what he did. Tifa had made a decision then, facing the red head’s alcohol-induced self-loathing about what had been, she could tell, one of the hardest moments of his life.

She had forgiven him.

And at her words he had cried into his hands until he passed out, her palm rubbing against his back in an awkward, soothing motion. Rude had come in later to find him and ended up carrying him home. Tifa wasn’t sure if Reno remembered everything that had happened that night, he had been pretty drunk, but the next time she’d seen him he had been his typical, irreverent self.

“I know,” Tifa finally replied. “I know what they’ve done. And our cause may have been a good one, but plenty of people lost their lives because of us too, Barret.”

“We were savin’ the Planet!”

“That doesn’t matter to the families of the people we killed,” Tifa pressed, her voice catching, and Barret’s face fell for just a moment, his eyes shifting away from her face. She knew it was cruel to say that to him. That he shouldered his own guilt for his role in those people’s deaths. But Tifa had no room in her heart for his hypocrisy.

“A Turk. Thought you were better than this,” Barret muttered with a shake of his head, turning his back on her and walking out of the room. She thought he was going to slam the door and her body tensed, but he just shut it almost silently, and she thought that may have been worse. Tifa stood there in shocked silence, listening to his footfalls as he walked down the hall and into his own room.

Her breath finally left her in a shuddering exhale, and Tifa collapsed onto her bed, dropping her PHS onto the nightstand. She had been hopeful, especially after Yuffie’s acceptance of her new relationship, that the others might be able to see that she was happy. That she’d finally done something for herself. Or at the very least, trusting her enough to know that she was making the right decision.

It took every once of willpower to keep her tears at bay, but Tifa managed to crawl into bed and wrap herself around her pillow, doing her best to focus on anything other than Barret’s words echoing in her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barret was always gonna be a hothead when it comes to anything related to Shinra.  
> Thank you for reading, comments and critique are always appreciated.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The WRO looks into the disappearances, and Vincent Valentine searches for answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of plot here, and Vinnie!

As enjoyable as Costa del Sol had been, Rude was glad to be back to work. He had missed being able to wear his suit comfortably, and the added security of the WRO headquarters relieved a great deal of anxiety over Rufus’s apparent lack of concern about his own safety.

They’d stayed for another few days in Costa after Tifa had left, mainly relaxing and hanging out at the condo, and he’d even taken a turn at surfing with Reno. Rude was proud to find he was actually pretty good at it.

He hadn’t known until later that Elena had snapped a picture of him coming out of the water, his board under his arm and his wet shorts clinging to him, and then proceeded to send it to Tifa.

He didn’t really mind that much.

Her messages the day after she and Kisaragi had left Costa had seemed… strange. Rude had commented on it, asking if everything was alright, and Tifa had called him that night to tell him that she and Barret Wallace weren’t talking. It didn’t take him long to discern the reason why.

Rude had been afraid of this happening, and the feeling of dread that settled in his stomach when her voice broke as she told him of Wallace’s words had brought to him the reality he had been ignoring since she’s sent him that first message in Kalm.

That their worlds had never really fit together. 

He had been part of an organization that was nearly responsible for the destruction of the planet, and she had been part of an organization that had been fighting to stop them. They’d worked together for a short time, towards the end, but they hadn’t been anything close to friends. And then, when Rufus had given up his hold on his father’s company and dedicated himself to righting Shinra’s wrongs, they had been reluctant allies.

But still, Rude had always known that a relationship between them wouldn’t just be smooth sailing. No matter how much he cared about her.

_“What are you going to do?” Rude had asked her, preparing himself for the worst. Good things rarely lasted long in his life._

_“I don’t know. I think he’ll come around, if I give him time,” she replied, her voice weary. “He’s been working, so the kids haven’t really noticed anything. But they will. He’s never really been subtle.”_

_“Tifa…” Rude paused, not sure what to say._

_“One thing I’m_ not _going to do is apologize for being with you. If he can’t accept it, then… well, I’ll deal with it,” Tifa had proclaimed firmly, and Rude knew enough not to argue with a woman when they took that tone._

_But he also made a silent promise that he’d do his best to never make her regret her decision._

Tifa hadn’t said much about Wallace since then, but Rude also hadn’t asked. He didn’t want to make her think about it if she was trying to focus on the kids. He took a moment to pull out his PHS and check out the picture she’d sent him an hour earlier.

His eyes found her first—they always would—smiling brightly as she kneeled with an arm around the girl’s waist. Next to them, Strife rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder, his face a blank contrast to Tifa’s happy expression. Rude couldn’t fight the flare of jealousy at seeing all of them together and knowing that this was a part of Tifa’s world that he would never fully fit into.

If he was lucky and everything worked in his favor, the most he could hope for was to be accepted by the children and tolerated by Strife. By Wallace. By most of the people who loved her. The only balm was the knowledge that he had his own family of sorts, and that they all approved of Tifa.

Rude could live with that.

“Hey man, meeting’s gonna start soon,” Reno said, popping his head in the door. Rude sighed and nodded, but was unable to swipe away the photo before his partner got a look at it. “That from Tifa? They at the Saucer?”

“Yeah.”

“Those two are weird. I mean, I always thought she was too good for him, but… it bother you? That they’re that close?” Reno asked, and Rude grunted lowly as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“I trust Tifa,” Rude replied, and he was surprised that he truly meant it. A long time ago he didn’t think he’d ever fully trust a woman who was interested in him, or pretending to be, but everything about Tifa was different for him.

“Yeah, me too,” Reno said simply, tilting his head in the direction of Reeve’s office. Rude moved from the wall and followed, pushing away his thoughts of Tifa in order to focus on their meeting. They entered the office to see Reeve at his desk, with Tseng and Elena standing to one side, Rufus already seated at the table, and an unfamiliar woman dressed in head-to-toe black.

She looked to be about thirty, with a pretty face, white-blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail, and dark blue eyes. The woman had her nails painted black, and Rude could see the dark, twisting patterns of a tattoo creeping up the side of her neck. Some kind of tribal design…

“Ah, Reno, Rude, this is Doctor Viridia Freeslin, one of our head scientists here,” Reeve introduced, smiling at them as Freeslin stepped forward. Rude didn’t like to make assumptions about people’s appearances, but he definitely wouldn’t have picked her out to be a doctor.

“Hi. Nice to meet you,” she said, her voice bright and happy. They greeted her and then took their places at the table, taking a moment to look through the files that Reeve had provided them.

“In addition to the disappearances, Shelke’s team reported that some of the scientific equipment has been stolen from the Planetary Studies laboratory down in Mideel,” Reeve began, his brow furrowing almost immediately.

“What kind of equipment?” Tseng asked.

“Hmm… looks like most of it was standard lab equipment. Scanners, scopes… um… wait,” Freeslin said, running her finger down the list on the page in front of her. “Some of this is used for medical work. Doing blood testing, sequencing…”

“So, the person that took it has medical training?” Elena questioned, tapping the end of her pen against the table.

“Or they stole it for someone that does,” Reno offered, and Rude nodded in agreement. From what he knew of doctors and scientists, they didn’t typically like to get their hands dirty if they could get someone else to do it for them.

“We’ll look through employee records, see who was stationed in Mideel during the time of the theft. Maybe we can find some kind of connection,” Tseng said, though he didn’t look hopeful.

“I’ve got Vincent’s report from Icicle. He tracked down and took out a pack of monsters, but couldn’t find any sign of the missing people. Said that the people reported hearing screams and roars at night, but there was nothing in the area,” Reeve continued. Valentine was one hell of a tracker. If he couldn’t find out where the monsters had come from, none of them would be able to either.

“Hmm… there were rumors of an old lab beneath Icicle. Nothing detailed, but I remember reading about it when I was younger,” Rufus said, flicking his hair out of his eyes.

“This is the first I’ve heard about it,” Reeve replied, frowning at the former president.

“Like I said, mostly rumors. Might be worth looking into, if Valentine’s still there,” Rufus suggested, and Reeve nodded as he pulled out his phone and began typing rapidly.

“This equipment… someone could be experimenting on the monsters. Might be what’s involved in making them stronger?” Freeslin supplied, leaning back in her chair as she chewed her lip.

“But what about the disappearances?” Elena pressed, flipping through the dossiers of the missing people.

“I have a feeling they’re connected somehow. I’m just not sure…” Reeve continued, setting his phone down and shaking his head.

“Have you guys looked through all of these pictures?” Freeslin asked sharply, sitting up straight and spreading the photos of the missing across the surface in front of her.

“Well, yeah,” Reno replied, raising a brow at what he perceived to be a stupid question.

“Didn’t notice anything weird about the missing people?” the doctor pressed, not amused by his attitude. Rude looked down, glancing through the dossiers but not understanding what she was looking for.

“They’re all men. Relatively young, healthy men. No women or children. Monsters would go for more vulnerable prey,” Freeslin told them, and the room was silent for a moment as they processed this discovery. “These people are being targeted. This isn’t random.”

“Hmm… this only serves to increase my suspicions that they are connected. Perhaps the monsters are being used in an effort to disguise the purpose behind the disappearances,” Tseng speculated, tapping a finger to his chin.

“So now we just gotta figure out all those ‘whys’ and ‘whos’. Should be easy,” Reno said flippantly. The mood in the room turned pensive, everyone looking through the files that they’d likely memorized by now, trying to find all the things they weren’t seeing.

“What about the assassin?” Rude asked, his eyes shifting to Rufus. The blonde man smirked and leaned back in his chair, his hand slipping into his pocket where he knew that he kept the bullet Elena had pulled from Tifa. He often slipped it out and toyed with it when he thought they weren’t paying attention, staring without seeing, and Rude wondered why he had held onto it.

Well, he had always had a taste for the morbid.

“Still haven’t identified him,” Reeve told him.

“Get me a blood sample and I can see if he’s in the records anywhere,” Freeslin offered, and Reeve gave her a grateful nod. They spent nearly an hour going through information, and Rude was frustrated that by the end of it they seemed to be no closer to figuring out just what the hell was going on.

*

*

*

Paying little attention to the stale air and biting cold, Vincent Valentine crept silently through the long-abandoned corridor that he presumed led into the secret underground Icicle laboratory. With Reeve’s message hinting at its existence, it hadn’t taken him long to bring his search to Professor Gast’s former home.

He had remembered the place, having stopped there with Tifa and Cloud years ago during their pursuit of Sephiroth. A keen-eyed search of the basement had revealed a hatch hidden beneath the bed, and Vincent had reported to Reeve that he’d discovered the entrance before he descended down the ladder and into the darkness.

The corridor sloped downward, winding around corners taking him deeper and deeper beneath Icicle. He could feel the temperature starting to shift, the air growing warmer and its scent less stale, and Vincent felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as he realized that this place wasn’t abandoned after all.

He could feel it.

Wrapping his fingers around the handle of his gun, Vincent reached out with his senses as he approached another corner. His mind was his own again without the influence of Chaos, but his body was still enhanced, and his instincts screamed at him that danger was close.

He pulled his gun free from its holster and spun around the corner, weapon ready, but there was nothing there. Vincent’s cloak fell around him silently as he surveyed the chamber, a chill passing through his form as he laid eyes on the horribly familiar surgical equipment and—thankfully—empty mako tanks.

His ruby gaze took in the pieces that did not belong: clean, gleaming tools and a bundle of cords that had to be at least twenty years newer than anything else in the room. Someone had been working here. And recently.

A whisper of movement—just a soft pass of fabric against fabric—sounded from behind him, and Vincent spun, his arm coming out to take aim at whatever had been attempting to sneak up on him. Something burst from the shadows of the doorway opposite him, the figure a blur as it hurtled towards him with frightening speed.

It lashed out at his gun, attempting to disarm him with a gloved fist. Vincent managed to maintain his grip on Cerberus, but a lightning-fast, powerful blow to his chest had him soaring backwards to smash into the concrete wall on the other side of the room.

Damn.

That had _hurt_.

He had a split second to look up and see bright mako eyes under a black hood before the figure leapt at him once more, a low, inhuman snarl ripping through the air. Flinging himself to the side, Vincent landed on his off shoulder and brought up his gun, getting off two shots before he rolled and flipped himself back up onto his feet.

His attacker screeched, the sound shrill enough to make him wince, and reared back as a spray of dark blood erupted from its torso and shoulder. He took aim again, ready to be done with this, when there was a sudden shuffling sound from his side.

Something slammed into him, the force of the impact so hard that Cerberus was knocked away from his hand and he saw nothing but black for a split second. Vincent lifted his arm, lashing out wildly, and before he could regain his bearings something had latched onto his metal gauntlet and was lifting him up off of his feet.

He blinked furiously, his vision coming back in patches to see fangs the length of his hand pressing into his gauntlet, denting the metal as it gave way with a sharp groan. Beyond that, furious eyes like bright green fire stared at him, hauntingly intelligent, and Vincent knew he hand to get a handle on the situation or he would be in serious trouble.

Twisting away, ignoring the searing pain in his gauntleted arm as the metal continued to cave inward, Vincent pulled Death Penalty from the hidden holster across his back. He whipped the weapon up, pressed the barrel against the monster’s throat, and fired.

The monster jerked back, causing Vincent to grunt in pain as the motion nearly tore his arm from the socket, but he continued firing a relentless stream of bullets into the monster until its mouth went slack and it collapsed, releasing him.

Without pausing he turned, gun ready, to see the figure struggling to stand and escape. It was breathing raggedly, and as Vincent took a step forward it snapped its head back towards him and crouched, preparing to lunge.

He fired.

The bullet tore through its head, snapping it back and splattering the walls behind it with black blood. He stared down at it for a moment, his chest rising and falling quickly as he took in the pale, almost gray skin and silvery hair. His first thought was another Sephiroth clone, but the hair was too dark, and this man almost looked… ill.

Vincent looked around the chamber, his eyes passing over the black-skinned monster that had tried to take his arm off. It appeared vaguely humanoid, except for the long, thin tail and the row of jagged spikes running down its spine.

An experiment?

Rolling his shoulder, Vincent quickly retrieved Cerberus and checked it over before holstering both guns and pulling out his PHS. He snapped photos of the monster and the man before reaching in his pocket and retrieving a potion. He wasn’t badly injured, but it would be foolish not to recover while he could. He was well aware that there was always the chance of more monsters hiding in the darkness.

Shaking out his arm as the potion did its job, Vincent took a deep breath and flexed his fingers. He’d need to get the gauntlet repaired when he was finished here.

Maybe he’d finally relent and allow himself a change of attire, as Tseng had suggested he do.

He’d been in the same clothes for decades, after all.

But those were thoughts for later. For now, Vincent had a job to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Vincent. If I wasn't such a huge Tifa x Rude fan, I'd always pair her with Vinnie.  
> Thank you for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa talks with Cloud, and then departs from Corel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good guy Cloud in this chapter.

Tifa sighed tiredly as she finished folding the last of her clothes and then packed them neatly in her bag. This past week in Corel had been a trying one for her.

Barret hadn’t so much as looked in her direction in the times that they were around each other, and Tifa had needed to explain to Alana what had happened to cause such a rift between them. The older woman had rolled her eyes and wrapped Tifa in her arms, muttering about her ‘idiot husband’.

“Lemme talk to him in a bit, after you head out tomorrow. Sometimes he just likes being angry,” Alana had told her. Tifa agreed, though she was a bit disappointed to miss out on what would most likely be a fairly entertaining dressing-down.

Cloud had showed up Friday night, just in time to join them for their trip to the Golden Saucer. Denzel had wanted to spend his time in the arcade and the battle arena, so Cloud had taken him. Tifa and Marlene had watched a few of the chocobo races and then proceeded to win a good deal of GP betting on which birds they thought would win. The girl had a knack for picking out the best racers, and Tifa was more than a little impressed.

A knock at her door drew her attention, and Tifa looked up to see Cloud standing in the doorway regarding her with a raised brow.

“Can I come in?”

“Of course!”

He ducked his head as he entered, glancing down at her bag and smiling faintly.

“We haven’t really got a chance to talk. Been running around the Saucer and chasing the kids the last few days. How have you been?” Cloud asked her, and Tifa chuckled, wondering where to start. They stepped out onto the balcony where Tifa leaned her hip against the railing.

“Well… I got to see Elmyra in Kalm, visited Fort Condor. Saved Rufus Shinra from an assassination attempt in Junon, and then hung out in Costa with Yuffie and the Turks,” Tifa told him, her voice airy and nonchalant.

“Sounds like fun,” Cloud huffed, resting his elbow on the railing and smiling down at her. Tifa looked up at him, taking in his handsome face and those beautiful mako eyes. He really was a stunning man, and it was easy to see why she had fallen for him back then.

And now she felt…

…nothing.

None of those confusing, painfully sharp emotions she had associated with him for so many years. Just a fondness and care that she bore for all of her other friends. She was free. Tifa grinned and chuckled at him, shaking her head as she stretched her arms overhead and looked out towards the sunset.

“It was, actually. And I… well, I’m seeing someone,” Tifa told him, almost shyly. Cloud’s eyes widened and he leaned back slightly.

“Anyone I know?” he asked. Tifa bit her lip before answering, praying that he took the news better than Barret had.

“Yeah… you know him.”

“Hmm… is it Vincent?” Cloud inquired hesitantly, and Tifa huffed out a disbelieving laugh, shaking her head.

“Why would you think Vincent?” she asked in surprise. Cloud reached up to rub at the back of his neck, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

“You guys always got along pretty well. And I guess… I thought you would probably go for the strong, silent type,” the ex-SOLDEIR explained, drawing a burst of laughter from Tifa. He was right on there, but it was another man of the same description.

“No, it’s not Vincent. I’m seeing Rude,” Tifa admitted, watching as his eyes narrowed and he looked away. Her stomach dropped and she gripped the railing tightly, preparing for whatever he threw her way.

“Rude… hmm,” Cloud murmured, and Tifa bit her lip as he turned to look at her. “Are you… happy?” he asked her, almost nervously, and she felt relief sweep through her.

“Yeah. I am. I really like him, Cloud. He’s… it’s just easy, being with him,” Tifa tried to explain, smiling as she thought about how close they had grown so quickly. Cloud’s eyes tracked her face, searching, until he must have found what he was looking for and gave her a nod.

“Okay. If you’re happy, then I’m happy for you,” Cloud said firmly, and Tifa felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“Thank you… Really, Cloud. I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about you shutting me out too,” Tifa breathed.

“I was wondering what was up with Barret. I take it he lost his shit when you told him?” Cloud asked with a grimace.

“Threw Sector 7 in my face,” Tifa growled, still upset that he’d had the nerve to bring that up.

“Ouch. He’ll come around. He cares about you more than he hates Shinra,” he told her with a shrug, and Tifa nodded her head, hoping he was right. She and Barret had had disagreements before, but they’d always seemed to figure themselves out.

“I hope so. I don’t like the idea of leaving like this, but Alana seems to think he just needs some time,” Tifa said with an exhale.

“Where are you headed next? Cosmo?” Cloud asked her.

“No, Nanaki’s taking his mate on a pilgrimage to the City of the Ancients, so he isn’t there. I’m heading up to see Cid and Shera for a bit,” she replied. “What about you?”

“In between jobs at the moment, so I think I’ll stick around for a while. Denzel wanted to go monster hunting,” he said, and at Tifa’s wide eyed look he huffed and shook his head. “Nothing big. I’ve been training with him, and you know I’ll keep him safe.”

She sighed and reluctantly nodded, recalling how Master Zangan had been teaching her how to fight by the time she was Denzel’s age. She knew better than most that the ability to defend oneself and others was a valuable skill. Better to know how and not need it than the reverse.

“You’d better Cloud Strife, or I’ll let you have it!” Tifa threatened with a raised fist, though the effect was ruined by the grin on her face. The ex-SOLDIER raised his hands in mock-fear.

“I’m quaking in my boots,” he deadpanned, and she swatted at him, chuckling when he feigned injury and curled in on himself. Tifa was still upset about Barret’s reaction, but having Cloud’s support and friendship meant the world to her.

*

*

*

Saying goodbye to the kids hadn’t been as difficult this time around thanks to Cloud. He had promised to take them out that afternoon with Barret to hunt the monsters that strayed too close to town, and it had effectively distracted them from her departure. The gunman had been conspicuously absent when she had left, and although she tried to focus on saying her goodbyes to Alana, Cloud and the kids, it still hurt.

Tifa’s mood had improved as Dahlia tore through the mountains, making quick work of a trek that would have taken the fighter well over a week on foot. It felt good to be back here, with the fresh air and snow-capped peaks, and it brought back some of the better memories of her childhood hiking in the mountains of Nibelheim.

It was late afternoon when they’d reached the far edge of the Nibel mountains and Tifa caught sight of a small, bright blue spring centered in a clearing. She steered Dahlia towards it, the ebony bird grateful for the rest, and Tifa hopped off and began to move through a series of stretches to relieve the tightness in her muscles. The chocobo gulped happily at the fresh water, ruffling her feathers as Tifa flowed through her katas with a smile.

She felt so peaceful here, up in the mountains surrounded by greenery and a crystal spring, with the cool breeze blowing through her hair and the birds…

… _not singing_.

She froze in the middle of her movement a moment after Dahlia’s head snapped up and the chocobo gave a low warning chirp, her crown feathers flaring as she scanned the trees ahead. Tifa smoothly pulled her gloves from her pocket and slipped them on, eyes flitting through the brush, searching for what she _knew_ was out there.

Dahlia gave a shrill screech as a dark shape burst from the foliage, rushing at them with a ragged snarl. It was huge, it’s black-furred, wolf-like head coming up to her shoulders as it charged on all fours, and Tifa fell into a fighter’s stance as she swiftly threw a magic wall around herself.

The monster leapt at her and Tifa cartwheeled out of the way, landing on one hand and hurtling a bolt of lightning at her attacker with the other. It gave a yelp and tumbled to the ground, twitching and snarling as it attempted to right itself. A panicked ‘wark’ from the spring drew her attention, and Tifa spun to see Dahlia kicking out at another monster with her powerful talons as it swiped at the bird with dagger-like claws.

A third monster was creeping up behind the chocobo, and Tifa knew she wouldn’t be able to take them all.

“Run Dahlia! Cloud! Go back to Cloud!” Tifa cried, waving her arm in the direction they had come from. Dahlia turned to stare at her, her eyes wide with fright, and then bolted, rocketing past the stalking monster before it could attack. She was smart, understanding exactly what Tifa had demanded, and now the fighter could focus on winning this battle without worrying about losing her chocobo.

The creature she had taken down had regained its footing, and now that the easier prey had escaped all three were converging on her. Tifa clenched her fists and began stepping backwards, doing her best to avoid letting any of them get behind her, and then focused on her materia and cast haste on herself. At the first hint of magic glimmering around her form, the three monsters sprang in unison.

Tifa backflipped, bringing her back foot through to connect with the nearest monster’s jaw as she moved. Its mouth snapped shut with a ‘clap’ as it whined and flew backwards, but she wasted no time being proud of the blow.

Jaws snapped inches from her face, the monster’s hot breath wafting across her cheek as Tifa drove her fist into the side of its skull, knocking it away from her with a grunt of effort. Even with her materia-enhanced speed, these things were _fast_.

She had to fall into a back handspring to avoid the next monster’s furious swipes, and when she found her footing again she hurled another bolt, enhanced by the all materia she had wisely slotted into her gloves. The scent of burnt flesh stung her nostrils as the lightning arced across the monsters, the brunt of the attack connecting with the lead creature before shockwaving through the air into the others.

The monster went down, shuddering, and didn’t rise again. Tifa took a deep breath, preparing to cast again, when the snapping of a branch close behind her sounded. Too close.

Pain lanced through her before she could fully process what was happening, and it took every ounce of training she possessed to turn her forced fall into a roll and scramble to her feet. A fourth monster crept towards her, fangs bared in a hideous grin as a few tatters of the back of her shirt hung from its claws. It had torn right through her thick traveling shirt, and she could feel her blood flowing freely down her back.

Tifa grunted in pain as she backpedaled, trying to put some distance between her and the pack as she healed herself. The cooling relief of the curative magic was cut short when they sprang in unison, and Tifa had the chilling realization that she was in a very dangerous position.

With a grunt of effort she dove out of their path, kicking out at the nearest monster. Part luck and part skill had her steeled-toe boot connecting with the vulnerable neck of the monster, snapping its vertebrae with a sickening crunch. It fell limp without a sound, and the remaining two screeched in rage and charged for her.

_BANG!_

The monster nearest her collapsed as its head exploded in a shower of red gore, and Tifa didn’t let the messy display distract her from the final creature. They leapt at each other in unison, the fighter sliding forward on her knees to come underneath its exposed belly. She punched upwards with a shout, drawing on her ice materia to drive a knife-like shard of frozen magic into its gut.

Flesh gave way and she turned from the spray of blood, rolling out from beneath the monster as its momentum carried it forward to go crashing into the ground in an unmoving heap.

Tifa panted heavily as she pushed herself to her feet, looking towards the trees as a flash of crimson drew her attention. Vincent emerged from the forest, his gun held ready at his side as his eyes scanned the small clearing covered in the corpses of the monsters. She felt relief flow through her at the sight of her friend, and allowed herself to relax slightly as the monsters slowly began to fade back to the Lifestream.

“Tifa… you’re hurt,” Vincent said softly, holstering his gun as she approached. She looked down at herself and the ruined shirt that hung off her, and grabbed the shredded ends to pull them together in a knot just under her chest. Better than the breeze flipping it up over her head.

“Good timing Vincent,” she huffed, and then wiped the blood splatter and dirt from her legs. “I’ve got cure materia, I’m okay.” He stopped a few feet away from her, scanning her body with narrowed ruby eyes.

“Hm. These monsters… I found them in Icicle,” Vincent told her, his brow furrowing as he looked over at the flickers of Lifestream rising from the corpses. “Along with a man. He was… ill. Enhanced. Hard to take down the both of them.”

“You look like you made it through okay,” Tifa said, resting her hands on her hips as she looked up at him. Vincent huffed and brought his gauntleted hand out from beneath the folds of his cape, revealing the warped metal bearing numerous indentations that had to have come from teeth or talons.

“Vincent!” Tifa breathed, reaching out to take the appendage and gently turn it over in her hands.

“I’ll get it taken care of when I’m done here,” Vincent said, carefully removing the gauntlet from her grasp and letting it fall to his side.

“Not that I’m not grateful for the help, but what are you doing here?” she asked, shaking out her hands and stretching her wrists. She hadn’t hit anything that hard in a long time, and she was feeling it.

“Something about the man made me think of… Hojo’s experiments. The WRO remodeled the Shinra Mansion, but the basement was left untouched. I was hoping to find something in the records there,” Vincent explained, and Tifa stiffened.

Nibelheim.

She had hoped never to step foot back in that place.

“Excuse me,” Vincent said suddenly, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a PHS. Tifa restrained a grin, recalling going with him to purchase the phone after they’d helped cure the kids of Edge of their Geostigma.

“Reeve. No, not yet. I found Tifa near the edge of the mountains, she was attacked by a pack of the same monsters I fought in Icicle,” Vincent said lowly, and then paused, his eyes flicking towards Tifa for a brief moment as a slight frown pulled at his mouth. “…no, she’s fine... Yes, I’ll ask her.” He turned to face her. “Tifa, Reeve wants to know if you would be willing to come with me to the Shinra Mansion. He is sending a team.”

She was nodding before she could even really consider what her acceptance would entail, and then Tifa felt suddenly cold. Going back to Nibelheim was _definitely_ not on her list of things to do after leaving Edge. But as she watched Vincent talking in low tones to Reeve, she couldn’t help but think that he’d suffered just as much in that place as she had.

There was strength in friendship, and she wouldn’t abandon him to walk alone through that basement where he’d died and been resurrected, tortured, and made to sleep for thirty years in a coffin.

Tifa sighed and pulled out her phone, grateful it had made it through the battle unscathed. She typed a quick message to Cloud telling him to expect Dahlia, that she was with Vincent and was fine, and to please let her know when her chocobo arrived.

She sent the message and replaced her phone in her pocket as Vincent ended his call with Reeve, and then they caught each other’s eyes. They shared a brief moment of unspoken understanding, knowing what was coming and how it pained them both, and after a soft sigh Vincent inclined his head to her.

“Shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Nibelheim!  
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> Comments and critique are always welcome!


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends reunite in Nibelheim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are coming together...

It had been quite some time since Vincent had felt fear like that which had seized him when he discovered Tifa fighting the pack of monsters in that mountain clearing. He had heard the sounds of battle and detoured from his path to Nibelheim, finding her with her shredded clothes, covered in blood and frighteningly alone. It had nearly stopped his heart in his chest.

Vincent had always been… fond of her.

Tifa had been the first one to reach out to him when he had woken from his slumber and stepped out into the world again. She had been kind and patient, never prodding or goading him like some of the others. And then, in the midst of battle when he had torn at his own skin and Galian had burst through, it was Tifa alone who showed no fear.

She had walked right up to him, asked if he was okay, and then handed him a rag to clean the blood from his face. It had been the first time in as long as he could remember that someone had been kind to him with no thought of gain for themselves. And his regard of her had only heightened with time and familiarity.

Vincent was sure he could have loved her, in another life.

He had seen the way she watched Cloud and Aerith dance around each other with pained eyes, and it had struck something in him to see such a familiar longing in someone else. If they had been different people, if he had made other choices, he would have allowed himself to feel emotions other than friendship for the woman.

And it seemed that there was another that cared for her as well.

His exceptional hearing had caught both Reno and Rude’s voices, low and tight with concern, demanding to know if Tifa was alright during his call with Reeve. It hadn’t been a surprise—there were many people whom cared for Tifa—until Reno, had said, ‘ _We’re going to see his girlfriend then, right Reeve_?’

Vincent had completed quite a few missions with the Turks since they started working with the WRO, and he could admit that they were quite competent. Reno reminded him of Yuffie in that he was endearingly annoying, but fully capable of getting the job done. And Rude was no-nonsense and efficient while working, but he had been privy to the man’s dry humor and found that preferred his company over the others’.

He stole a discreet glance at Tifa, walking by his side through the forest towards Nibelheim. She had been quiet and looked rather tired, and he couldn’t help but hone in on the spattering of blood across her skin. But through all that he could see that there was something different about her. The way she carried herself, the lightness to her steps… there was a new kind of strength that emanated from her now.

Perhaps this… connection she had with the Turk had helped her to break free from the unseen hold Cloud had on her. If this was what moving on looked like for Tifa, then he was happy for her.

And it gave him a glimmer of hope that perhaps one day he could do the same.

*

*

*

He couldn’t help the nervous tapping of his fingers against the side of his leg as the chopper sped through the air. It had been one of the slowest take-offs he could remember, and he was aware enough to realize that it was only because he was so anxious to get to Nibelheim. Rude could hear Freeslin and another scientist, Doctor James Vendi, chatting in the cabin, but he had tuned out their babble quite some time ago. Reno was piloting, the red head slouching in his chair and bobbing his head to the faint music Rude could hear from his head set.

The partners had been in Reeve’s office when the call had come through from Valentine, and the director had put it on speaker. His blood had run cold at the report of Tifa’s attack, knowing the trouble Valentine had had disposing of those same monsters up in Icicle.

He and Reno had simultaneously asked about Tifa’s status with concerned voices, and had all but demanded to be sent in Tseng and Elena’s stead to Nibelheim to assist the former Turk. Reeve had, thankfully, approved.

The familiar structure of the remodeled Shinra Mansion came into view from between the mountains and Rude straightened, checking the landing site for his partner as the chopper lowered itself to the ground. They had made the trip in record time, which Rude was grateful to Reno for, and the sun was just beginning to fall behind the mountains as they landed.

“Alright ladies and gentlemen, watch your brains on the way out, blade’s still slowing down,” Reno warned casually, and Rude fought a smile at his partner’s words as he made to follow the scientists. He tried not to rush, maintaining his professionalism, but he was beyond anxious to see Tifa again.

They entered the mansion, Freeslin and Vendi almost excited about the prospect of delving through the aged Shinra records, and were greeted in the foyer by Valentine. He had abandoned his cloak, wearing his black pants and long-sleeved shirt, though his red bandana still held his hair back from his face as he regarded the scientists with wary eyes.

“Valentine,” Rude greeted with a nod, which the gunman returned. Without the tattered cape he looked much more like the Turk he had once been.

“Hey Vince, you ready to let the nerds loose downstairs?” Reno called, tossing a lazy salute as he entered the mansion behind them, closing the doors as he came. Freeslin rolled her eyes at the red head, but she couldn’t disguise her impatience to get on with their mission as she looked up at the former Turk with eager eyes.

“…follow me,” Valentine told them, turning on his heel and heading towards the corridor that would lead them down into the basement. Rude made to follow them, assuming that Tifa was already down there, when he heard a door open across the foyer.

He turned to see Tifa standing there, her eyes wide and mouth parted slightly as she looked at him in surprise. Pausing mid-step, Rude let his eyes pass over her from head to toe, searching for some sign that would indicate if she was injured or unwell from her encounter with the monsters. 

Tifa looked tired, and there were faint smudges on her arms and the side of her face that looked as though she had tried to hastily wipe away signs of blood and dirt. Her hair was coming loose from the braid that trailed down her back, but she stared at him with bright, sharp eyes.

She was okay.

“We’ll see you down there, yeah?” Reno called, wiggling his fingers as the group passed through the corridor and turned out of sight. Rude swallowed thickly and moved towards her, picking up speed the closer he got until she was right in front of him. He didn’t hesitate to reach out and wrap an arm around her before dropping a kiss to her lips, pressing harder when he felt her grip at the lapels of his jacket.

She smelled like blood and grass, but underneath the scent of battle he could detect something that was all her, and Rude realized at that moment just how much he had missed her. Ignoring the uncomfortable press of his glasses against the bridge of his nose, Rude deepened their kiss and pulled Tifa closer.

“…I was worried. You alright?” Rude asked when they broke apart a few moments later, adjusting his glasses as he reluctantly put a small amount of space between them.

“Yeah. Vincent has pretty good timing. Those things were… _unusually_ hard to kill,” Tifa replied with a frown. It was then that Rude let his hand slide down her shoulder towards her hip, discovering that her shirt was torn in the back and the skin there was gritty with…

Dried blood.

Frowning, he shifted her gently so that he could look. The back of her shirt was shredded in what was unmistakably a pattern of three long claw marks. The blood had long since dried, and he knew that it had to have hurt like hell when she got it.

“Missed one,” Tifa explained with a grimace, and Rude clenched his jaw as he wondered just how much trouble she had been in before Valentine arrived. He’d seen Tifa fight. _Up close_. He knew that she was no easy target. “Do you guys have any information about what those things are yet?”

“Dr. Freeslin might. She and Dr. Vendi are from the WRO science unit. We should go see what we can dig up,” Rude said, and Tifa nodded, looking as though going down to that basement might be more daunting for her than fighting the monsters had been. But then she straightened her stance and her eyes hardened, and Rude knew that she’d be fine.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

*

*

*

Her legs felt like lead as she descended the winding stairs down into the mansion’s basement. The entire building had been remodeled, except for everything beyond the door that led down here. She could hear the steady dripping of water below, smell the old, stale air, and feel the chill seeping through the stone of the cylindrical tower.

She hated this place so much.

Tifa had made good time traveling with Vincent into Nibelheim, and he’d managed to convince her to make a detour into town to pick up some supplies as her pack was still attached to Dahlia. Thankfully, the chocobo had made it back to Corel with no issues, though Cloud had been more than a little concerned despite her messages assuring him that she was alright.

He had only calmed when she had called him and made Vincent tell him that they were really okay.

She’d ignored the concerned whispers of the people there due to her ragged appearance—citizens who had actually moved into the mountain town, not those Shinra plants she’d wanted to pulverize with her bare fists when they lied about growing up there—and bought a new pack, supplies, and a spare set of clothes. Unfortunately, she hadn’t had enough time to take a shower and change before the chopper had arrived.

Vincent hadn’t told her who was coming, only that Reeve was sending a team, and she’d been pleasantly surprised when she had walked out of her room to see Rude and Reno there. He remained close to her as they descended into the basement, and Tifa was glad for the company. She could hear low voices ahead, where the library and lab lay, and passed quickly through the damp tunnel to join the others.

Reno was standing nearest to them in the entrance to the library, and he turned to offer her a wide grin as they entered.

“Heya, Lockhart. Looks like we missed quite the party,” the red head quipped with a raised brow at her torn shirt and stained pants, and Tifa huffed a laugh, giving his shoulder a light pat as she turned to face the unfamiliar faces.

“Hey, I’m Viridia. Freeslin, WRO science division,” the woman introduced herself, giving Tifa a warm smile and a wave. She was wearing tight, black leather pants and a high necked, long sleeved black shirt with shoulder cut-outs, and had multiple strings of delicate silver chains hanging from her neck. She looked more like a punk-rocker than a scientist.

The man stepped forward then, and Tifa thought to herself that he appeared much more like a doctor than his colleague. He wore a white lab coat over dark slacks and a shirt, and had chocolate brown hair styled neatly around a handsome face.

“Dr. James Vendi. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lockhart,” he introduced, reaching out to shake her hand with a charming smile. Tifa returned the gesture, feeling a little uncomfortable about the way his dark eyes passed over her figure, but Reno quickly stepped forward and plowed right through their joined hands, breaking them apart as he pranced into the lab.

“C’mon, let’s get this done. It stinks down here,” Reno complained, and Tifa gave him an indulgent smile as they followed. Freeslin hurried through after him, her eyes scanning the floor to ceiling shelves containing decades of scientific research.

“Mr. Valentine, do you know if these are organized at all?” Freeslin asked, and Vincent gave a nod and stopped at the head of the hallway.

“The green binders are for the experiments involving monsters, and the creation of them,” Vincent said, and Tifa’s eyes passed over the shelves, picking out a scattering of binders in that color. There were… a lot of them. “Blue for mako research. Black for… SOLDIER.”

“What about information involving Hollander’s research?” Vendi asked, and Tifa turned to him with a confused frown.

“Who’s Hollander?”

Vendi gave a disbelieving scoff, looking over at her with an incredulous expression that her hackles rising.

“You don’t know what we’re looking for here, do you? Did no one bother to get her up to speed?” the scientist demanded, and Tifa stiffened in indignation. She wasn’t the only one.

“Calm your tits, man. We were busy getting your loser ass here. C’mon Lockhart, Freeslin can let you know what we’re looking for,” Reno said, stepping forward to place himself between her and Vendi. The man puffed up, about to say something in response, when Freeslin let out an exasperated groan and grabbed Tifa’s hand.

“Men. Here, this is the guy that Mr. Valentine fought in Icicle,” Freeslin said after pulling Tifa aside and taking out her phone. The scientist showed her a picture of a man, clearly dead, with silvery-gray hair, mako blue eyes, and what looked like a spiderweb of darkened veins creeping up his throat.

“Who is that?” Tifa asked with a frown, and the blonde woman gave her a grim look.

“Have you ever heard of a man named Genesis Rhapsodos?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh… any guesses on what's coming next!  
> I'd love to hear your theories.  
> Thank you for reading, comments and critique are always welcome!


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa learns more about Genesis and Project G.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hints of lemon in the later part of this chapter.

Tifa pursed her lips as she considered the name. _Genesis Rhapsodos_. It sounded vaguely familiar but she wasn’t sure where from, and the fighter shook her head as she handed Dr. Freeslin back her phone.

“Hm, that’s okay. He was a SOLDIER First Class back in the day. A commander, actually. You know, during the war with Wutai… before Sephiroth went nuts,” Freeslin said, giving Tifa a sympathetic glance when she stiffened at the name. Sephiroth going nuts included not only the destruction of her hometown, but the attempted murder of the entire planet.

“Wait… I remember… there was another one too…” Tifa said, the faint image of an old recruitment poster flashing through her mind. Black, red, silver…

“Yeah, Angeal Hewley. The three of them, Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal, all went through SOLDIER training together. They were all high-ranking generals and commanders in the war. Best of the best,” Reno confirmed, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning against the shelf behind him.

“What happened to them? I don’t remember much about SOLDIER after the war,” Tifa asked, unable to recall hearing about them during their time chasing Sephiroth. If Cloud had known the other two Firsts, he had never said so.

“Well, everything went to hell. That was all pretty hush-hush back then, but we’re not about that life anymore,” Reno said, giving Tifa a shrug. No… they had been very forthcoming since Meteorfall in comparison to their days of constant cover-ups. 

“Something happened to Rhapsodos. Training accident, apparently. But the injury wouldn’t heal, and he went to Professor Hollander. Who told him that he had been… created by Project G… an off-shoot of the Jenova Project,” Rude explained, and Tifa felt her mouth fall open in shock.

“Jenova…” Tifa breathed, fear building in her, and Freeslin nodded.

“Hollander took advantage of him. Told him that he could heal Rhapsodos if he helped him. They developed a means of creating clones of him by… mutating other SOLDIERS that had defected along with Commander Rhapsodos,” she said with a shake of her head. “He lied, of course. He knew all along how to cure him, it’s not such difficult process for someone who knows what they’re doing.”

“And do you know what you’re doing?” Vincent asked, looking over at Freeslin suspiciously. Tifa suppressed a scoff at his obvious distrust of the scientist. She couldn’t really blame him, after everything he’d been through.

“I spent most of my under-grad years studying all of the work done by Hojo, Hollander and Gast,” Freeslin replied, folding her arms across her chest and giving the gunman a defiant arch of her brow.

“Brilliant scientists,” Vendi commented with a nod, and Tifa felt the faint urge to punch him in his handsome face. There were many words she could have chosen to describe the people who had worked for Shinra’s science department before Meteorfall, none of them complimentary.

“Fucking psychos. Not Gast so much, but Hojo and Hollander were more monsters than the ones they created,” Freeslin spat, and it didn’t escape Tifa’s notice how Vincent zeroed in on her, his red eyes glued to her as a conflicted expression passed across his face. She caught his look and offered an apologetic, “No offense.”

“You cannot deny their genius—” 

“Sorry, psycho trumps genius. Even with everything they did for science, the planet would have been a better place if they’d never existed,” she argued, and Vendi let out a disgruntled sigh as he turned away from her, returning to her perusal of the shelves. Freeslin flipped him off behind his back before grinning at Tifa and continuing. 

“Anyway, there are a lot of former SOLDIERS who work for the WRO now, and they’re still dealing with the side-effects from their time under Shinra’s tender care. It’s my job to administer their treatments, so I know a good deal about everything that went into the process,” she explained, and Tifa nodded, finding herself liking this woman already.

“Sounds personal,” Rude commented, stepping forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Tifa.

“My older brother was in SOLDIER. Made it all the way to First. Died from degradation before anyone could figure out how the hell to cure it. So yeah, it’s personal,” Freeslin said tightly, averting her eyes and glancing at the shelves. Tifa felt a pang of empathy for the woman and didn’t hesitate to reach out and take her hand, squeezing it gently.

“I’m sorry about your brother,” she told her, and Freeslin nodded her head, giving her a grim facsimile of a smile.

“Yeah… thanks. Just trying to make sure that I do what I can to help the others. Which is why I’m here. We need to go through anything we can find that was written up by Hojo or Hollander,” the blonde said, and Tifa was brought back to their current mission.

“What does this have to do with the man that Vincent fought?” Tifa asked, and the gunman stepped closer to her as he handed a black binder to Freeslin.

“I sent his photo to the WRO. He has been identified as a Genesis clone,” Vincent told her solemnly.

“Not only that, but Freeslin here just matched a DNA sample from the assassin in Junon to one Vince brought back. And guess what?” Reno sang, pointing finger-guns at his partner.

“Another clone,” Rude finished, and Reno made a little noise imitating an explosion.

“So… Hollander is making more of these… Genesis clones?” Tifa asked, trying to figure out the connection. That still didn’t explain why they tried to assassinate the former president.

“No, Rhapsodos and Hollander are both dead. They were killed by… Zack Fair,” Vincent said delicately, and the fighter gave a hum. She hadn’t thought about the black-haired SOLDIER who had saved Cloud’s life for a very long time.

“So… if they’re both dead, then who is making these clones?” she asked, failing to put the pieces together in her mind.

“Well that, Lockhart, is the million gil question.”

*

*

*

They had spent several hours in the basement going through files and binders, putting ones that appeared relevant in boxes to be returned to the WRO, and Rude kept half his attention on Tifa as they worked. It was obvious that she was exhausted, but the fighter had put on a brave face and plowed through the stacks of information. Vendi and Freeslin were in their element, showing no signs of slowing down, and he doubted that Valentine tired in the same was as the rest of them.

After catching her yawning for the third time in as many minutes, Rude caught his partner’s eye and tilted his head towards her. Reno nodded, giving him a raised brow and curious expression, and Rude nodded in response. They had gotten very good at communicating without words over the years.

“Hey Lockhart, you look beat. You should probably get some sleep,” Reno said, and Rude knew a moment before she opened her mouth to speak that she would argue with him.

“I’m fine.”

There it was.

“Could probably use a shower too,” the red head continued, wrinkling his nose. Tifa huffed and glared at him, and Rude took that moment to step closer to her.

“We all need to get some sleep. The records aren’t going anywhere,” he told her, and Tifa sighed, her shoulders slumping as she finally nodded.

“I’ve got like, two more binders and I’ll hit the hay too,” Reno said, flipping through a blue binder.

“I’m good. Used to pulling all-nighters,” Freeslin called, Vendi adding a vague grunt without looking up from the binder her was examining.

“I’ll remain with them,” Valentine said lowly, giving Tifa a nod as he walked past them towards the lab. The fighter yawned again, her eyes squeezing shut, and Rude gently took her by the elbow and pulled her in the direction of the stairs. They traveled in silence, their pace slow, and he couldn’t help but feel slightly amused at the way that Tifa was almost asleep on her feet by the time that they reached the foyer.

He followed her as she moved into the bedroom on the far end of the hall before uncertainty rose in him, and Rude gently cleared his throat as he stopped in the doorway. He was fairly confident that they would be sharing a room, but he didn’t want to assume. Tifa turned to him with a tired smile as she grabbed the tan bag on the bed.

“I’d like it if you stayed,” she said softly, and Rude hummed in agreement as she entered the room, closing the door behind him. The bedroom was large but plain, with a double bed, two nightstands, a dresser and a lounge chair. Across from him was the bathroom, and it was there that Tifa headed with her bag across her shoulder.

“I won’t be long,” Tifa said, pausing at the door.

“I don’t need it, take your time,” Rude replied, and she smiled at him before entering the bathroom and shutting the door. He sighed as he heard the water turn on and then moved towards the bed, sitting on the edge and removing his gloves. By the time that he had stripped himself down to his pants and undershirt the shower shut off.

He set aside his glasses as the door opened and Tifa exited, and Rude felt his mouth go dry. She was wearing a pair of tiny sleep shorts and a black tank top, and he could tell that she had decided—for some reason he didn’t really care about—to forego a bra. She was toweling off her long, damp hair as she padded across the floor with bare feet, unaware of the effect she had on him.

Rude swallowed heavily as he watched Tifa set her bag down on the opposite side of the bed before laying her towel across the chair. He tried not to stare, conscious of the way she used to drive her fists into men’s faces back at the bar when they’d crossed a line she’d drawn around respecting her body, but he really couldn’t help it. She finally sensed his eyes on her and looked up, smiling faintly as she pulled back the covers and slipped her long legs beneath the white fabric.

“You can’t tell me that you’re not tired too,” Tifa said quietly as he remained motionless, and Rude hummed as he slid off his pants and shirt, leaving him in his boxers, and turned off the lamp before joining her under the covers. She moved closer to him as he settled, resting her head on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the vanilla-scented smell of whatever she had used on her hair. Tifa shifted closer, her hand running up his chest to his shoulder as her thigh rubbed against his, and Rude could feel his arousal awakening at her movements. He knew she was tired, and he was about to try to force himself to get some sleep too when she smoothly shifted and pressed up onto her elbow, leaning forward and kissing him softly.

Not willing in the slightest to turn down the opportunity to be close to her like this, Rude returned the kiss, his hands falling to her waist as Tifa moved and straddled him. She didn’t hesitate to press their bodies together as he opened his mouth to her, letting out a groan as she ground herself against his growing erection.

Not _that_ tired then.

Tifa clutched at his shoulders as she rolled her hips along his, and Rude brought his hands up under the thin fabric of her tank top to grip at the smooth skin there. He let her take command of their kiss, setting the pace with her tongue and body as she moved faster against him and his hands continued to travel higher and higher.

Rude paused when his fingers brushed against the bottoms of her breasts, and it was then that Tifa finally broke their kiss to look down at him. Even in the dim light provided by the outdoor lights he could see the fatigue in her eyes, disguised as it was by desire. He didn’t think that she was quite up to what was going through his mind at that moment, but Rude knew that he could give her what she needed and help her fall asleep.

“Come here,” Rude said lowly, smoothly rolling Tifa to face away from him while he pressed himself against her back. Rude brought his bottom arm up, returning his hand to rest just under her breast while the other slipped down beneath the hem of her shorts. She gave out a soft moan as she realized what he intended, rolling her hips back against him and reaching up to grip at the back of his neck.

His hand continued its journey south, moving beneath her underwear and through her short curls to the slickness hidden there. Tifa sighed and then reached for his hand on her chest, pulling it up until it was filled with her warm, full, _soft_ breast. 

Oh _fuck yes_.

He gave a grunt as his hips thrusted against her ass, wasting no time in exploring what she offered with enthusiastic caresses. Rude appreciated more about Tifa that just her body, but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't fantasized about her amazing chest.

He began pressing kisses to the back of her neck as he slowly pressed a finger inside her, enjoying the way she moaned at the intrusion and pressed back against him as he began to thrust his hand. Rude played special attention to her nipple, rolling the hard peak between his fingers as he picked up his pace. Tifa was breathing heavily now, writhing in his arms as he played her body expertly, pushing her higher and higher. 

Someday, he wanted to take her like this. Her breast in his hands and her ass pressed against his hips. Rude grit his teeth as he fought to keep his focus on her and not himself, and he redoubled his efforts, swirling his thumb around her clit in time with the rhythm of his fingers.

“Rude… oh…” Tifa breathed, and then she froze, her body clenching tightly around his fingers as she came. He held her through it, bringing her down slowly and kissing the juncture of her neck as she gasped and relaxed. Tifa let out a contented hum as he reluctantly slipped his hands away from her intimate parts and shifted her to rest comfortably in his arms.

“Mmm… what about you,” Tifa said, and Rude couldn’t help but smile at the way her words slurred together.

“That was for you. Don’t worry about me, just relax. Get some sleep,” he spoke in her ear, and Tifa made a quiet noise and laced her fingers with his as she did as he asked. Rude did his best to ignore their current position—his erection was incredibly uncomfortable—but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. It only took moments for Tifa’s breathing to even out and her body to go slack with sleep, and he rested his cheek on the back of her head, being careful not to jostle her.

Rude sighed and focused on the sated woman in his arms, beyond grateful that he could be with her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa and Rude grow closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little fluff, some Reno goodness, and Tifa is a badass.

Tifa was slow to wake the next morning, but she knew that she had slept better than she could remember doing for years. Her body felt heavy and warm under a heavy weight, and when she finally forced her eyes open she found that it was barely light outside. For a moment she was confused by the unfamiliar surroundings, and then she remembered where she was and what she was doing there.

She smiled to herself when she heard the soft breathing just behind her head, and Tifa looked down to see Rude’s limp arm wrapped around her so that his hand rested in front of her face. She traced the thin lattice-work of scars on his knuckles with her finger, wondering where they were from and how old they were.

“Used to fight a lot… back when I was a kid,” Rude said as though he’d read her mind, his voice low and gravely from sleep. The sound of it sent a shiver down her spine. “Had a pretty bad temper.”

“Really? That’s hard to imagine,” Tifa replied, continuing to run her fingertips across his scars. Rude shifted slightly, moving closer to her and pressing the warm skin of his chest against her back.

“When I moved to Midgar I was pretty messed up. Parents dead, foster home was... pretty bad. Lashed out whenever I got the chance,” Rude told her, and Tifa turned in his arms to face him. She pushed her hair out of her face and caught his gaze, urging him without words to continue. Rude gave her a soft smile and propped his head up on one hand before he spoke again. 

“There was this gym a few blocks from where I was staying. The owner used to be a big-shot martial arts champion back in his youth. Saw me fighting one day. Two bullies, twice my size. I was pretty scrappy. Told me to come see him the next day,” Rude continued, reaching out to toy with a strand of her hair.

“Did he teach you how to fight? I’ve never been able to pick out what style you practice,” Tifa asked him.

“There were others there who took a liking to me. My style is a blend of all of theirs. But the old man taught me the most. Taught me how to handle myself. How to hold onto my temper. When I was a little older, he introduced me Veld, the head of the Turks back then. Got me in, and I never had to go back to that foster house again,” he finished, and Tifa stared at him for a long moment, processing what he had told her.

She had wondered about how many of the Turks had become what they were, and she was beginning to understand how Shinra had gained their loyalty. Rude had been, in essence, saved by them. Elevated from a painful place and given a new home and a purpose in life. It made sense to her why he had been with them for so long.

“I’m glad you got out,” Tifa said softly, and then a smile grew on her face as she thought about his fighting.

“What’s that smile for?”

“Just thinking… you never fought against me. Back then. And I was always curious how we would match up,” Tifa said, biting her lip as a blush grew on his cheeks.

“Ah, hm. I didn’t want to hurt you,” Rude confessed, averting his eyes. “Not saying I would’ve. I know how strong you are. But I couldn’t really bring myself to try to hit you.”

“Should I be flattered or offended?” she teased, and he exhaled loudly with a shake of his head.

“I liked you, even then, when we were on opposite sides. It wasn’t that I thought you were weak or anything, I knew that you weren’t. I guess… it just didn’t feel right to put myself in that position because I knew that if it came down to it, I’d have to do my job,” Rude explained quietly, looking conflicted. Tifa reached out to touch his face, running her nails gently through the short hair of his goatee.

“I suppose it’s a good thing then. And nothing we really have to worry about anymore,” she murmured, and Rude hummed in agreement, closing his eyes as she continued to trace the contours of his face with her fingers. “I’m still curious though… to see how a fight between us would go,” she pressed, and he huffed before opening his eyes and looking back at her.

“Are you digging for a spar?”

“Definitely.”

“Hmm… I don’t know. Wouldn’t want you to leave me when I win,” Rude purred, his lips threatening to turn up in a grin, and Tifa gasped and leaned back.

“When _you_ win?” He laughed at her, flashing white teeth and making his entire face light up with mirth. Tifa felt a warm bloom of affection grow in her chest at the sound and sight of his joy, and she couldn’t help but wrap an arm around his chest and chuckle with him. They held each other as their laughter faded and the needs of the day began to press on them, and after a long moment Tifa finally forced herself up into a sitting position.

“Well… we should probably get to work. The less time I have to spend here the better,” she said, stretching her arms over her head with a sigh. She caught his eyes tracking her movements, as they had last night, and suppressed a smile. His staring at her didn’t bother her the way it did when other men checked her out.

She felt… proud when he admired her. And desired. It made her feel good.

“You know… you don’t have to stay here. Reno or I can fly you to Rocket Town or Corel if you want,” Rude offered, and she looked at him as she considered. It was true that she’d rather be anywhere else but here, but Tifa wasn’t about to leave them with the work unfinished. She’d conquered this place before, she could do it again.

“I want to help,” she told him, and Rude held her gaze for a few seconds before he gave her a nod.

“Okay. Then let’s get this done,” he said before slipping out of bed and replacing his clothes and equipment. Tifa smiled to herself as she did the same, considering how much she appreciated that he didn’t argue with her about it. She had told him about what had happened here, the things that he wouldn’t find in any Shinra file, and Rude had confessed that he had been part of the crew in charge of the recreation of Nibelheim.

Tifa had been upset at the revelation, and there had been more than a few awkward silences during that phone call, but she’d ultimately forgiven him when he had explained how he, Tseng and Reno had taken the time to make sure all of the townspeople’s bodies had been buried with respect. So Rude knew, better than most, how much pain this place had brought to her. 

It was strange to Tifa, that he had confessed not wanting to hit her, but then didn’t argue when she said she wanted to stay in the place that held some of her worst memories. The contradiction between protecting her and then not treating her as though she were made of glass wasn’t something she was accustomed to.

Tifa didn’t fully understand it, but it made her feel a little stronger than before.

*

*

*

Reno winced at the bitter taste of the coffee he’d just chugged down, needing the extra kick of caffeine after their late-night science-binge. He’d headed up to bed about thirty minutes after Rude and Lockhart but had woke before the sun, his body still on Edge time. He could function just fine on limited sleep, so he grabbed a cup of coffee and headed back down.

Morbid curiosity had made him check out the coffin where Valentine had slept for thirty years ( _no fucking thank you_ ) and then found himself mildly entertained when he reentered the lab to see Freeslin and the former Turk standing suspiciously close to each other and sharing the same binder.

 _Weeell…_

He hadn’t seen that coming.

Not that he blamed Valentine, Freeslin was pretty hot for a nerd, but he’d never seen the former Turk show any interest in anyone. And there had been offers. Plenty of WRO secretaries who fell for that dark, brooding thing that Valentine had going for him. 

Freeslin hadn’t been around too long, though lately she’d been pulled for some of the scientific fieldwork and the red head had seen her name on enough reports that he’d recognized it when Reeve had introduced them. She had those long legs and big eyes that tripped him up, but Reno hadn’t even tried to get her to sleep with him yet. Weird.

His PHS buzzed in his pocket, and the red head whipped it out, rolling his eyes when he saw the name above the message.

**Hey dickhead, how’s that fresh mountain air treating you? – Yuffie**

He scoffed, his fingers flying over the screen as he typed his reply.

**It’s terrible. I’m a city-boy, Princess, not sure that I can survive for long without the haze of cigarette smoke and the scent of alcohol.**

**You big baby. Find anything interesting? – Yuffie**

He glanced back up at Valentine and Freeslin, biting the inside of his mouth to prevent a grin from appearing on his face as he saw that they were now involved in some kind of staring contest. Sparks were definitely flying there.

**Maybe… We’re bringing a bunch of research shit for the science nerds to go over. And I think that good old Vince might have a little crush.**

Reno had barely enough time to sip his coffee before his PHS buzzed with the reply.

**OMG, WHOOOOO?????? – Yuffie**

**Dr. Freeslin.**

There was a several seconds stretch before the reply came.

**Okay, that actually makes a little sense. He’s practically a vampire, and she dresses like one. They could share clothes. – Yuffie**

Reno let out a bark of laughter just as Rude and Lockhart entered the library. His partner gave him a raised brow but Reno just waved him off.

“Are you messaging Yuffie?”

His eyes snapped back up to Lockhart, panic rising in him at her words. A split second later he had forced himself to relax into his typical laid-back posture as he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

“What? You’re still dreaming, Lockhart. Why would I—”

“She likes you too,” Lockhart said quietly, patting his arm as she walked by. Reno froze, shocked by her statement and surprised by how her words made something warm flare in his chest.

_She likes you too._

Well, shit.

*

*

*

“Thanks for taking care of Dahlia for me. I really appreciate it,” Tifa said to Cloud, pacing the far room of the basement lab with her phone to her ear.

 _“Of course. You know, Barret was freaking out when she ran in without you,_ ” Cloud replied, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

“Oh, he was?”

 _“Yeah. I think that may have broke his stubborn streak. Was bugging me all day asking about details, seeing if you were okay,_ ” he told her. She was relieved that Barret seemed to be coming to his senses, but she was also well aware that their issues over her relationship weren’t over. Baby steps.

“Well, good. He needed to pull his head out. But, Cloud, we have no idea... It feels like we’re starting to figure out _what_ is happening, but we have no clue why or who is behind it. This doesn’t feel right. I’m worried,” Tifa told him, resting one hand on her hip while she frowned down at the binder-cluttered desk in front of her.

“ _I’m not sure how you want me to help_ ,” Cloud said, and Tifa sighed.

“Me either. Contact Reeve. At the very least, he can keep you informed if we do figure anything out,” Tifa suggested.

_“I will. Bye, Tifa. Stay safe.”_

“Bye, Cloud,” Tifa replied, and then ended the call and slipped her phone back in her pocket. She rested her palms flat on the desk, at a loss of what they were supposed to do next. Nothing made sense, and she couldn’t seem to figure out what the goal of creating monsters and clones could be. If there even was one…

“So, you and Cloud are close?”

Tifa spun at the sudden question, surprised to see Dr. Vendi standing in the doorway watching her. She hadn’t heard him come in.

“Oh! You know Cloud?” she asked, straightening and facing him. Cloud had done quite a few jobs for the WRO, made sense that he'd make new acquaintances.

“I know _of_ him. But who doesn’t?” Vendi drawled as he moved into the room, running a finger along one of the shelves filled with specimen glasses. Tifa felt a shiver of apprehension as he drew nearer, and she was growing more uncomfortable the closer he got. Wait… had he been out there listening to her while she was on the phone? “You’ve known each other a long time?”

“Since we were children,” Tifa replied, and just as she was considering moving around him to exit the lab, she spotted Rude in the doorway, his expression unreadable as he took in the scene. The flicker of fear that had begun to grow in her died out, and Tifa schooled her features into a blank expression as Vendi continued to advance.

“And then you fought Sephiroth together. Reports say you and the Cosmo wolf were there with him when he died, in the Crater,” Vendi said, looking at her with an intense gaze that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. He stepped closer to her and still Rude hadn’t made his presence known to him, but Tifa wasn’t afraid.

“You must be stronger than you look,” Vendi said, his voice tinged with fascination, and then he reached out, intending to cup her face, and Tifa was done. Lightning-fast, her hand snapped forward and gripped his, twisting just enough to bring Vendi to his knees without breaking the joint.

“I am,” Tifa growled, adrenalin surging through her body as she took control. Vendi snarled and glared up at her, rage and pain twisting his handsome features into something feral.

“Ah! Let go, you bi—”

“I wouldn’t finish that sentence if I were you,” Tifa warned before shoving him backwards by his captured limb, releasing her grip as he fell. Vendi cursed as he scrambled to his feet, dark hair falling forward into his furious eyes, and just as he clenched his fists and made to step forward, Rude gave a distinct cough.

Vendi froze, his expression pinched in anger, and then looked over his shoulder to see the Turk standing there with a raised brow. Rude shifted his position, standing sideways just inside the room and leaving the doorway clear in a gesture that clearly meant ‘get out.’

The doctor didn’t hesitate, sweeping out of the room without another word and heading down the hall towards the main library. Rude watched him go until he was out of sight and then turned back to Tifa, his jaw clenching slightly.

“You good?”

“You didn’t step in…” Tifa said in lieu of a response, making sure to keep her tone free from accusation.

“I know you can handle yourself,” Rude replied as he took another step closer to her, habitually straightening his jacket. “But I had your back.”

Gods, he could make her feel so much so _easily_. That he allowed her the respect to handle her own circumstances while still looking out for her, while being there if she needed him… Tifa had never known anyone who understood her quite like he did. 

Tifa felt stunned by his words, and then absolutely filled with gratitude and something… else… When she realized what it was a bright smile grew on her face, and Tifa didn’t hesitate to say the words that sprang into her mind.

“I love you.”

Rude inhaled sharply at her words, his brows rising above the rims of his glasses before he reached up to take them off. Slipping them into his jacket pocket, he stepped forward towards her and reached out to take her hands in his as he caught her gaze.

“I love you too, Tifa,” Rude told her lowly, and she felt so full with the happiness that welled in her at the confirmation that he shared her feelings. He smiled at her and then leaned down to smoothly slant his mouth over hers. Tifa sighed into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as he gripped her waist and lifted her onto the desk.

She broke their kiss with a laugh at the movement, the binders clattering around as she displaced them, and Rude chuckled with her. The way he was looking at her with those brilliant hazel eyes and a soft smile she’d come to recognize was just for her made Tifa’s throat tight with emotion.

Tifa shifted slightly, trying to get more comfortable on the desk, and accidentally nudged a stack of binders just enough so that they tumbled sideways and clattered loudly on the floor. They both froze, her eyes wide and his amused, and then a blonde head popped up in the doorway.

Freeslin’s eyes went huge and her mouth parted when she spotted their suggestive position, and then she gave a mischievous grin and quickly turned away from the room without a word. Tifa huffed a laugh, still feeling high on happiness, and then let out a deep sigh as Rude stepped back slightly.

“We should… probably get back to work,” he suggested reluctantly, and Tifa nodded as she slipped back off the desk.

“Yeah… but first… what do you know about that guy? Doctor Vendi?” Tifa asked, and Rude frowned as he replaced his glasses, their moment sadly over.

“Not much. I’ll look into him when we get back to headquarters,” Rude offered, and she gave a relieved nod. Their previous interaction had definitely been inappropriate on his part, and Tifa felt completely justified in stopping him from touching her.

“Okay. Stay close? I’d rather not invite trouble if I can help it. Even if I can handle myself,” Tifa said wryly, and Rude gave her a nod as the corner of his mouth twisted up into a grin.

“Wouldn’t mind seeing you take him down again though.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments and critique are always appreciated.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group departs from Nibelheim and meets up with Reeve in Edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liked how they gave Reeve a bit more screen time in the Remake. And I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need to buy a Cait Sith plushie now...

It had taken another full day to sort through all of the information they intended to bring back to the WRO headquarters, and Rude was more than happy to be done with that place. He had never liked being there, especially after Sephiroth had razed it to the ground and he’d had to spend a month painstakingly rebuilding it. Both Tifa and Valentine had elected to travel with them back to Edge, and the chopper was uncomfortably cramped due to the half-dozen boxes filled with binders and files.

Valentine and Freeslin were sitting suspiciously close to each other, studying one of the blue binders and speaking on a private channel, and Vendi sat across from them with his nose buried in a file. Tifa sat on the same bench, though she had positioned one of the boxes between her and doctor in an obvious attempt to keep some space between them.

He’d kept half an eye on the man after his tactless advance in the library, making sure to inform Reno of what had happened in case Vendi decided to make another pass at her, or worse—lash out because of her rejection and retaliation. His blood had boiled when he had watched the doctor make a move on her, but not out of jealousy.

During those times after the remnants had been killed when the Turks had patronized her bar, Rude had watched over and over as men came onto her or pushed at her boundaries. He had seen the look on her face when she thought no one was watching, and he could tell that she absolutely hated that kind of attention.

And then she had taken him down with a flick of her wrist, and Rude had felt a very different kind of heat.

The one good thing that had come out of their time in Nibelheim was Tifa telling him that she loved him. It had caught him by surprise, something she managed to do more often than not these days, and Rude had been so relieved to finally be able to say those same words to her. He’d loved her for so long, even if he hadn’t allowed himself to accept it back then, and the knowledge that she cared for him the same way was exhilarating.

A small part of him was grateful for Vendi for being an ass and creating a situation where Rude could show Tifa that he respected her ability to take care of herself while simultaneously being there if she needed him. But a larger part of him wanted to introduce the doctor to his fists.

He’d reported the incident to Reeve, and the director had told him to keep watch on the doctor and to let him know if there were any further incidents. Rude didn’t intend on letting him get the chance to do anything else.

Vendi’s eyes had strayed towards Tifa more times than he preferred during their flight, and as the doctor shifted and leaned against the box of files, subtly trying to get closer to her, Rude had had enough.

He caught Reno’s attention and tapped at his headset, and the red head flicked the switch to put them on their private channel.

“What’s up partner?”

“You up for a flying lesson?” Rude asked, and Reno bared his teeth in a mock smile as he nodded his head. He had been more than a little angry when Rude had filled him in about what happened in the library, and he appreciated the fact that Reno apparently felt a bit protective of Tifa. His partner flipped the headset switch back to the open channel.

“Yo, Lockhart! Get your ass up here, I’m gonna teach you how to fly this bird!” Reno called, and Rude stood from his seat to make room for her. Tifa had a hesitant smile on her face as she unbuckled herself and rose, maneuvering around Rude as they switched seats.

He listened as Reno began showing Tifa what he thought to be the finer traits of that particular chopper—namely the guns and maneuverability—while sitting sideways on the bench, straight-backed and directly facing Vendi. The doctor tilted his head to glance up at him, and Rude maintained his stoic expression as he pushed his glasses further up his nose and casually cracked his knuckles.

A bit excessive, but the way Vendi swallowed heavily and quickly averted his eyes was satisfying.

Rude passed the time by scrolling through Dr. Vendi’s file, sent to him on his PHS by Reeve. He found himself disappointed by the lack of anything eye-catching in his history. Perhaps he was just a bit of a creep, and Tifa had been the unfortunate target of his attentions in that basement. There were plenty of men like that, especially around Tifa, and he didn’t hold much hope that Vendi would get more than a verbal reprimand from Reeve when they returned.

He found himself wishing that Tifa _had_ broken his wrist.

*

*

*

To say that Reeve Tuesti was stressed would have been an understatement.

Running the WRO was the most fulfilling thing he had done in his life, but recent events had really worn on his mental health. There were people missing from cities all over the world, reports of powerful packs of monsters roaming the areas in the wake of those disappearances, and he was _still_ dealing with the fallout from the Deepground incident.

Not to mention the secret Shinra labs that just kept popping up all over the globe. It seemed that the ghosts of Shinra’s past would never stop haunting them. It made him irrationally frustrated with Rufus and Tseng every time that they told him of another secret or situation orchestrated by the fallen company. He knew that it wasn’t all on them. The late president and his staff had been… tyrants, and had approved all of the horrific experiments and facilities that had given Shinra its bad name.

His PHS buzzed on his desk, and Reeve swiped across the screen to see an alert that the Turk’s chopper had just landed on the roof. A moment later Rude sent him a message stating that Vincent would be assisting the scientists with moving their recovered records to the research level, and that the rest of them were headed down to see him.

He carded a hand through his hair with a sigh as he stood and fastened the button of his jacket, giving the still form of his robotic eyes and ears a fond pat. Reeve had been working on a newer version of Cait Sith, modifying its AI capabilities to enable it to better perform as a reconnaissance tool. He still had quite a bit of work to go, but his tinkering with the cat was one of the only outlets he had to keep the stress from his job from driving him crazy.

The door chimed and Reeve turned and looked up to see it slide open, revealing Reno, Rude and Tifa. The fighter smiled brightly when she saw him, not hesitating to hurry forward and embrace him warmly.

“Hi, Reeve,” Tifa greeted, and before he could reply she had apparently noticed Cait, because she made a cooing noise and slipped from his hug to go to it. “Is he awake?”

“Heh, not at the moment. I’m making some improvements. Shouldn’t be much longer now,” Reeve answered, and Tifa smiled at him as she lovingly held the cat in her arms. It was good to see that happiness on her face. When Vincent had reported that she’d been attacked he hadn’t been able to push the worry he felt for her from his mind.

And then Rude had told him about Dr. Vendi’s poorly-executed attempt at flirtation. (As well as Tifa’s efficient handling of the situation, which he’d enjoyed hearing about a great deal.) Reeve was actually disappointed that the man didn’t have anything in his file that made the occurrence warrant anything other than a reprimand.

So, seeing that smile on her face now, Reeve decided not to mention what had happened in Nibelheim. He’d handle it himself, and make sure that Vendi understood that if he bothered her again, he’d be out a job.

His door chimed once more and Rufus swept into the room, still managing to look regal and imposing even with his cane. He spotted Tifa and gave her a smirk, moving forward to stand between Reno and Rude.

“Miss Lockhart,” Rufus greeted, inclining his head. “Good to see you again.”

“Mr. Shinra. You look well. No more assassination attempts since I saw you last?” Tifa quipped, and Reeve was surprised by the genuinely amused laugh that came out of Rufus’s mouth. Yuffie had told him that Tifa had spent some time with Rufus and the Turks in Costa del Sol. Apparently, they had grown closer than he had thought.

Reno and Rude followed him behind his desk while Tifa and Rufus chatted amiably, a surreal sight for sure, and Reeve make sure that the fighter couldn’t hear his next words.

“How is she? I know Nibelheim is… painful for her,” he said quietly, recalling watching through Cait’s eyes at how that first trip back had tormented her.

“She’s alright. Glad to be done there, I suspect,” Rude replied in an equally discreet tone.

“Anything else to report?”

“Well, I’d suggest partnering Freeslin with Vince whenever she has to go do field work,” Reno said with a suggestive wiggle of his brows. Reeve’s eyes widened at the insinuation, and leaned in closer to the red head.

“You can’t mean…”

“Oh yeah.”

It was so odd to think of Vincent being close to, well, anybody. Especially with what Reeve knew of his past. And he never could have guessed that it was one of the most… _unique_ scientists he had ever met that would have drawn the stoic gunman’s eye.

“Well, that’s certainly… I don’t really know what to think about that, honestly,” Reeve said as he leaned back against his desk.

“Think about what?” Tifa asked as she and Rufus joined them. She still had the stuffed cat in her arms, and it made Reeve smile to see it there.

“Our favorite vampires hooking up,” Reno drawled, and though Rufus’s expression didn’t change in the slightest, the fighter bit her lip to hide a grin.

“Yeah… they looked like they were getting along pretty well,” Tifa said, looking down at the cat as she spoke. Hearing it from Tifa made it all the more real, and Reeve felt a stab of loneliness at the thought of all of his friends pairing off while he was essentially married to his work. He’d have to do something about that someday, if he didn’t want to be old and gray and alone at the end of his life.

“Well, I’m starving man, are we still on the clock?” Reno asked Reeve, patting his stomach as he spoke.

“No, I don’t need you for anything. Rufus?”

“I’ll be here at headquarters for a time, but I don’t anticipate there being a reason for an escort. If I need security, I’ll call for you. Otherwise, enjoy a few days off,” Rufus told them, and Reno clapped his hands with a ‘whoop’ while Rude merely nodded.

“Tifa, if you want to stay, I can set you up in one of the guest rooms here at HQ,” Reeve offered, and the fighter looked momentarily surprised before she tilted her head to look at Rude.

“She can stay with me,” Rude said, and then gave the fighter a raised brow, “If that’s what you want?” She smiled at him and gave a nod, and then turned back to Reeve.

“Is there anything else we can do right now?” Tifa asked him as she gently laid Cait back down on his desk.

“I appreciate the offer Tifa, but I don’t think so. We’ve upped security and surveillance around all WRO facilities and known former Shinra labs,” Reeve told her, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he spoke. He felt frustratingly useless.

“Until we finish the analysis on those files you brought, or something new happens, it’s a waiting game,” Rufus added.

“My favorite,” Reno drawled, and then gave them all a wave as he pushed away from the desk and moved towards the exit. “See ya. There’s a burger and beer downstairs with my name on ‘em.” They bid him goodbye and then Rude made to follow suit, offering his arm to Tifa as they went. Reeve watched the couple depart with a soft smile, glad that they had seemed to find happiness in each other.

“You’re staring, director,” Rufus said wryly, and Reeve cleared his throat and straightened.

“She’s been through a lot. It’s good to see her happy,” he told the former president, and Rufus hummed as he glanced back towards the door. “And… I must admit that it’s a bit of a surprise to see her so friendly with all of us. You, and the other Turks especially. After everything that happened…”

“Yes. She is an extraordinary woman. Her capacity for forgiveness is quite incredible,” Rufus replied, his voice pensive in a manner that didn’t fail to catch Reeve’s attention. His brows furrowed as he considered the man and his words.

“Are you…”

“In love with her?” Rufus finished, and then let out a scoff. “Hardly. But I do quite admire her. There is something about Miss Lockhart that makes me want to live up to her expectations.”

“Those expectations being?” Reeve pressed, hardly believing that Rufus was speaking to him so candidly. The former president lowered his head, a faint smile on his face as his hand slipped into the pocket of his jacket.

“To be better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a few future one-shots planned for side characters, and I'll do one for Rufus so you can get a bit more of an idea about his thoughts on Tifa. I'm a sucker for redemption stories.  
> Thank you for reading!


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa and Rude take the next step in their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly filled with lemony-goodness.  
> Please note the rating change, and if smut isn't your cup of tea, skip it.

Tifa was stunned when they entered Rude’s apartment, so much so that she barely caught his little smirk as he closed the door behind them and took her bag for her. When he’d told her that Rufus had set the Turks up in their own penthouses near the top of the WRO headquarters, she had expected to find a living space akin to a high-quality hotel room. But this was…

Everything was done in dark, sensual colors and textures. Charcoal, black and deep purples, and the lighting was warm and subtle without it being too dark. She stepped farther into the room as Rude set both their bags on the table in the center of the space, admiring the sloping curves of the furniture and smiling at the fact that everything was so neat and tidy.

“Wow, Rude. It’s beautiful,” Tifa breathed. He removed his glasses and set them in a small silver dish on the table before turning back to her as he reached up to loosen his tie.

“I’m glad you like it. You’re the first person who’s been here,” Rude told her, and Tifa looked at him in surprise.

“Really? How long have you been living here?”

“Almost a year and a half,” he replied, and her brows flew upward. “This is… hmm. I wanted somewhere just for me. No work, no distractions.” She felt a sudden flare of discomfort at his words, and Tifa bit her lip as she lowered her gaze. This was his sanctuary, and she felt like an intruder.

He must have sensed her uneasiness, because Rude approached and reached out to gently grasp her shoulders.

“Tifa. I _want_ you here. I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t,” he assured her, and she took a steadying breath and nodded. Rude dropped a soft kiss on her forehead and pulled her into him, wrapping her in his arms. She relaxed into his embrace, enjoying his warmth and the comforting way that he held her as she considered how good it felt to be welcomed into this private part of his life.

After a time they pulled apart and he showed her the rest of his apartment, including his stylish kitchen complete with the most modern appliances she had ever seen, his bedroom, lavish bathroom, and a training room that made Tifa’s fists clench in anticipation.

There were different punching bags hanging from the ceiling, as well as a heavily-weighted standing dummy, and the floors were covered in thick sparring mats. She had no problem admitting that she was incredibly jealous of his training space. It instantly gave her ideas about pitting their skills against each other, and when she turned back to Rude with a cunning grin he chuckled and shook his head.

“Maybe tomorrow. I’m getting hungry, was thinking about ordering up some take-out. What are you in the mood for?”

They decided on barbeque, and Rude made the order while Tifa took a moment to send her daily messages to the kids. When she had finished, she went into his bathroom, eyeing the deep jacuzzi longingly, and then paused in his bedroom on the way back out.

The bed was massive, with a sleek charcoal cover and purple satin sheets peeking through, resting on an intricate metal frame. Recalling the way that he had taken care of her that first night in Nibelheim brought a heat to her cheeks, and Tifa bit her lip as she considered the opportunity she had here.

They’d both been exhausted the second night, having worked into the early hours of the morning to ensure they would be able to leave at dawn. But Tifa would’ve been lying if she said she hadn’t been thinking about sleeping with Rude since Junon. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as she continued to stare at the bed, thoughts of what it would be like to be with him flashing through her mind.

She wanted him.

But there was that nagging voice in the back of her head reminding her that she didn’t know what she was doing. Tifa ignored it, knowing without a doubt that Rude would take care of her. She trusted him, _loved him_ , and she knew that she was ready.

That still didn’t mean that she wasn’t nervous.

She had thought that she was doing a decent job of disguising it over their dinner, but apparently, she had been wrong. Rude had continued to study her face as they ate, and when they had finished the meal and began cleaning up, he stopped her. Taking her hand and drawing her away from counter where she had been packing up their leftovers, Rude gave her a probing look.

“Is something wrong?” he asked softly, and Tifa felt a stab of guilt at the thought that she may have made him feel uneasy.

“No… it’s just…” she paused, trying to think of what to say.

“Tifa…” Rude said, and she let out a sigh and reached up to rest her hands on his shoulders.

“Nothing’s wrong, I promise. Just… a little nervous, I guess,” Tifa replied, and he gave her a confused frown. She decided to just _show_ him what she wanted, and proceeded to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down into a kiss. Feeling the stiff set of his shoulders, she ran her tongue along the seam of his mouth until he opened to her.

He tasted like the sweet barbeque and beer they’d had for dinner, and Tifa wasted no time in deepening the kiss, pressing herself into him and running a hand down his back. She felt the tension leaving his frame as he began to kiss her back in earnest, gripping her waist and leaning over her. It was only when she felt her back connect with the counter that Tifa recalled a much more comfortable place to do this.

“I want you,” Tifa breathed against his lips as she broke the kiss, and Rude’s eyes snapped open to catch hers. She watched as realization dawned on his face and he discerned the reason for her earlier nervousness. He suddenly sprang forward and lifted her into his arms, drawing a surprised laugh from Tifa as she wrapped her legs around his waist to keep their balance.

His smile was blinding as he carried her out of the kitchen and through the hallway into his bedroom, pausing only to close the door behind them. Rude kept his eyes on her as he set her back down onto her feet, his hands moving slowly from her hips up to her shoulders and back down. Feeling emboldened by the look in his eyes, Tifa reached up and began to smoothly unbutton his shirt. She was proud that her hands were steady as they moved, because her heart was pounding.

She slipped the shirt off his shoulders, running her hands down the smooth, firm muscles of his chest and abs, feeling heat rising in her at the sight of him. Rude was staring at her intensely, though he chuckled slightly when Tifa struggled to pull his sleeves down his wrists.

Damn buttons.

He released his hold on her to remove them himself, and Tifa gathered her courage, gripped the hem of her shirt, and pulled it—along with her sports bra—up and over her head. Rude inhaled sharply, his shirt hanging from one wrist as he stared at her with wide, dark eyes. 

Tifa knew that she looked good naked. Years of training her body and maintaining her fitness had left her with a lean, strong, yet feminine frame. Rude managed to completely remove the rest of his shirt without looking away from her, and the obvious desire on his face made her feel only a tiny bit self-conscious about her scar.

He ignored it completely.

Licking her lips, Tifa’s hands moved down to her hips, her thumbs catching on the top of her pants before slowly pulling them downward. He wasn’t idle as he watched her, his hands making quick work of his own pants, displaying an appealing level of coordination and balance as he stripped down to nothing and stood before her.

Tifa took a moment to admire his naked body, her eyes traveling along the powerful lines of his thighs and arms and chest, and then honing in on his erection. Her breath caught at the desire she felt for him. He didn’t move, didn’t cover himself, just let her look and watched her in return.

“Rude,” Tifa whispered, feeling heat curl low in her belly at the sight of him fully revealed to her, and then he finally stepped forward, reaching out to take the straps of her underwear between his fingers. She nearly gasped as he dropped to one knee, the backs of his hands caressing her skin as he pulled the fabric down and she stepped out of them.

His hands went to her hips and Rude looked up her body, taking in every inch as he slowly stood and caught her gaze. She nearly trembled when he brought his hand up, brushing his knuckles against her from her waist, to the valley between her breasts, and then up to run his thumb across her cheek.

“You’re beautiful,” he told her, and then stepped forward, their bodies meeting and drawing a gasp from her at how _good_ it felt. He was warm, and firm, and the way his erection rubbed against her belly made her _want_. Tifa wasn’t sure which of them started the kiss, only that their mouths met heatedly and they moved together, gripping and writhing and she felt like she was on fire.

He guided her back, never breaking their kiss as Tifa moved onto the bed and laid back against the pillows. Rude hovered over her, continuing to kiss her passionately as one hand trailed down her body to rest at her hip. She arched against him, moaning when she felt him brush against her core, and then Rude gently slowed their kiss before pulling back.

They were both breathing raggedly as he rested his forehead against hers, and Tifa found that any nervousness she had felt previously was gone. Faced with the way that he made her feel, the only thing she wanted right now was for him to make love to her.

Rude slowly moved his mouth to the side of her neck, dropping wet, sensual kisses along her throat. Tifa let out a breathy moan as he moved downward, the sensation of his lips and tongue against her skin making her tremble. She could feel his hand creeping from her hip towards her center, and Tifa gasped as his fingers parted his folds at the same moment his lips wrapped around her nipple.

“Oh, Rude,” Tifa moaned, grasping at the back of his head as he smoothly slid his fingers inside her while continuing to mouth at her breast. She couldn’t stay still under his attentions, bucking into his hand and pressing her head back into the pillow. Tifa had never felt so pleasured, so worshipped, and the only thing she could think was how good it would be when he was finally inside her.

“Rude… I… I want,” she gasped, unable to finish as a clever twist of his fingers had her vision blurring. He pulled his mouth from her skin and gazed up at her, his eyes dark with desire.

“Gotta get you ready. Don’t want to hurt you,” Rude ground out, his voice rough and low, and then resumed his kissing of her skin, this time traveling lower, to the bottom of her breast, and then towards her navel. When he continued to go lower, kissing at her lower stomach, Tifa couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

_Was he going to…?_

All thought left her at the first caress of his tongue directly against her clit. Tifa couldn’t stop her hips from jerking wildly, thought Rude quickly wrapped an arm around her thigh and held her tightly as he continued unperturbed. It amazed her that he seemed to know _exactly_ what he was doing, his tongue swirling around her clit as his fingers thrust into her at a relentless pace.

“Ah… ah…” Tifa moaned, her body arching off the bed as she reached her peak. She was vaguely aware of Rude moving off of her and heard the slide of a drawer, and then she forced her eyes open in time to see him rolling on a condom. Her stomach lurched, though not unpleasantly, at the sight of him kneeling over her with his hand around his cock, and Tifa licked her lips as Rude moved to cover her body with his.

He pressed his forehead to hers once more and she could feel the slight trembling in his frame. Rude looked down at her, his eyes flitting across her face, and Tifa felt him pause at her entrance.

“Are you sure?” he breathed, and later she would be grateful for his consideration, but right now she just wanted him. Tifa nodded her head, gripping his shoulders. “Wrap your legs around me.” She did as he instructed, her breath coming quick as he leaned down to kiss her and slowly pressed forward.

She moaned into his mouth at the intrusion, at the intense feeling of fullness and heat, and Tifa found herself surprised that there was only a small amount of discomfort. From what she’d heard from others, she had expected pain, but other than an uncomfortable tightness and slight sting, there was no pain. Maybe he’d had a point when he said he wanted to get her ready.

When Rude finally entered her fully, their hips pressed tightly together, he broke the kiss, shuddering above her, and Tifa opened her eyes to take in his reaction. His brow was drawn while his mouth was slack, and he was panting heavily with his eyes squeezed shut.

“Rude…” Tifa whispered, and his eyes opened to look at her, the pupils blown so wide she could barely discern the tiny ring of hazel.

“You feel so good, Tifa. So perfect…” Rude rasped, and then pulled back slightly before thrusting forward. Tifa gave a sharp moan at the movement, her head falling back as she gripped at his hips with her thighs. He reached up to brush her hair from her face before kissing her, his other hand moving to grasp at her waist.

She’d always been good with her body, and it didn’t take Tifa long to figure out his rhythm and match it, tilting her hips upward at every thrust. Rude groaned as they picked up speed, their bodies rolling against each other and Tifa dug her heels into him to spur him on. The discomfort was rapidly fading to pleasure as he moved within her, especially when he gripped her thigh and pulled it higher, adjusting the angle of his thrusts to connect with _something_ inside her.

“Oh,” she gasped, breaking the kiss as her head flew back and her body trembled. “Like that…” He complied immediately, holding her leg higher and setting an impressive pace as he snapped his hips into hers. She was moaning at every thrust, heat pooling low in her belly as he moved over her.

“Tifa,” Rude gasped, kissing her firmly before pulling back to look at her. “I love you.”

“I love you—oh!” Her word transformed into a cry as he hit that spot again, and she clutched at him, chasing that feeling rising in her again.

“Tifa… I’m close,” Rude ground out, his pace unrelenting. 

“Me too,” she gasped, and he let out a low curse as he reached a hand down between them to circle at her clit. It was too much; the feeling of his hand on her, his body against her, how full she felt while he thrust over and over… Her cries reached a crescendo as she came once again, and Tifa was only half aware of Rude moaning her name lowly as he pulsed deep inside her.

He pressed his face into her shoulder as they relaxed against each other, Tifa running her fingers over the sweat-slickened muscles of his back until she was resting her hand at the base of his neck. He let out a long hum of pleasure at her touch and kissed her gently, making his way from her throat to her mouth. They kissed languidly, Tifa still in awe of the pleasure they had found together, until Rude finally pulled away with a deep sigh.

“I’ll be right back,” he said softly, kissing her once more before he carefully pulled out of her. She missed the feeling immediately, though the sight of Rude’s ass as he hurried to the bathroom was a good distraction. Tifa flopped back onto the bed when he was out of sight, and then pulled back the covers and slipped into the smooth satin sheets with a sigh of pleasure.

Whenever— _wherever_ —she settled, she’d have to get some of these.

The thought flew into her mind, quite suddenly, of what it would be like to live here with Rude. Tifa took a moment to seriously consider a life working at the WRO, perhaps in a position similar to Yuffie’s, and spending her down time with Rude. Would he want that? He said he wanted her here, but would that invitation be extended indefinitely?

She was pulled from her thoughts as he reentered the bedroom, and she couldn’t help biting her lip as she admired him. Rude was imposing with his suit and shades, but there was something even more magnetic about the way he looked naked.

He quickly slipped into the bed and wasted no time wrapping her in his arms. Tifa went happily, enjoying the contrast between his warm skin and the coolness of the sheets.

“That was…” Tifa trailed off, struggling to find the words that would convey how happy she was at that moment.

“Mm, yeah. You were perfect, Tifa. You don’t know how much it means to me to have shared that with you,” Rude said, his voice so quiet she had to strain to hear him.

“I’m glad I waited for you,” she replied, and his arms tightened around her. He pressed a kiss into her hair and then ran a hand down her side. When he reached her ribs, the _only_ place on her body that tickled, Tifa flinched and giggled, and he froze.

Her eyes snapped up to his, wide and wary, and Rude grinned before he went for her ribs again. Tifa’s body reacted in a flash; she snatched his arms, the one at her side and then the other when it reached for her, and quickly swung a leg over him and pinned his hands above his head.

The sudden affect her take-down had on him was a surprise.

Rude inhaled sharply, his eyes going wide and dark, and Tifa felt his cock twitch against her thigh. Her mouth parted as she looked down to see his erection hardening rapidly, and when she met his eyes he almost looked nervous.

“Rude…” she whispered, her mind working quickly. “Do you… want me to… do you like it when I hold you down?”

He swallowed heavily and Tifa relaxed her grip on his wrists, but she didn’t let go. Her heart was pounding, though she wasn’t entirely certain why.

“Tifa… I trust you… so the thought of you taking control…” Rude licked his lips, his eyes traveling over her naked form. “It’s definitely a turn on.” She shifted slightly, moving so that more of her weight was on his wrists, and watched the way his body went taut and his breath shuddered.

“Is that… what you prefer?” she asked softly, her fingers digging into him.

“Not as a rule. If it’s something you’re not comfortable with, I don’t mind at all. What we did earlier… Tifa, this was the best night of my life,” Rude confessed, and Tifa leaned down to press a kiss to his lips. When he tilted his chin up to deepen the kiss she pulled back, letting their lips ghost against each other for a moment. She wasn’t sure what she was doing, but Tifa felt confident she could read him enough to figure out what he liked.

“I want to explore this with you…” she whispered, “But if you move a muscle, I’m gonna go to sleep instead.”

He froze beneath her, eyes intense as he stared at her, but he didn’t move. Tifa grinned as she slowly slid downward, letting her fingertips trail down the corded muscles of his arms as she moved. When she scraped her nails lower, across his nipples, his abdomen clenched and he breathed harshly through his nose, but still he didn’t move.

She looked forward to seeing how far she could push him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody else see Rude enjoying being told what to do in bed?  
> Thank you for reading, comments and critiques are always appreciated.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mideel comes under attack.  
> Rude thinks on his time with Tifa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a transition here, before the action.

Mideel was a quiet posting, and Officer Realas considered himself fortunate to have been stationed here for the last three months. Aside from the recent events—six men missing and two deaths from monster attacks—the town was a peaceful, beautiful place. The WRO had constructed a state-of-the-art Planetary Studies facility on the edge of the Lifestream Lake, and he was currently on duty patrolling the perimeter.

He’d had a late night, the boys wanted to hit the local bar and he’d taken advantage of the billiards table to win enough money to cover drinks. He was just beginning to regret that now. Realas squinted against the harsh sunlight, his lips turned down in an annoyed frown, and he turned the corner to begin his final turn around the facility. 

The sudden sound of a scream rent the air, making him freeze mid-step. Realas listened intently, trying to catch the sound again, but there was nothing save for silence. He thought that it had come from the far side of town, but he couldn’t be certain, so he reached for his radio.

“Fentil, this is Realas, might have a situation,” he said, resting his hand on his sidearm as he walked to the edge of the perimeter. The town looked oddly empty as he surveyed the area, and a shiver ran down his spine as the thought that _something was wrong_ passed through his mind. It was mid-morning on a Thursday, people should be going about their business…

“What kind of situation?”

“Not sure. Stand by.”

He began walking down the path, headed into town, and the eerie silence had his heart pounding and his palms sweating. Realas had fought monsters before, plenty of times, but this felt different. Monsters were loud and chaotic. Easy to find. This felt… wrong.

A snarl brought him spinning on his heel, whipping out his weapon as he turned to search for the threat, but there was nothing there. He wasn’t hearing things, he knew that something had made that sound, and Realas reached for his radio again.

Before he could grab it a dark mass burst through the window of the nearest building, glassing flying outward towards him and cutting harshly into his skin. Realas fell backwards with a shout, pulling the trigger three times in rapid succession as a pair of jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth snapped at his face. His aim was true, and the monster’s sharp yelp sounded as its body collided with him and crushed him into the ground.

He felt his wrist snap under the monster’s tremendous weight as they landed, and Realas cried out in pain, panic racing through him as he recalled that these creatures typically travelled in packs. With a frightened, furious roar, he shoved at the monster until he could pull his body out from under its bulk, setting his gun to the side as he cradled his broken wrist to his chest.

The low rumbling growl of another monster made him freeze, and Realas slowly looked up to see black-clawed feet advancing towards him. Just slightly behind the creature strode a hooded man, his face concealed, and he held a sword loosely at his side. 

It was wet with blood. 

He knew that he wouldn’t make it to his gun in time. There was no way he was faster than the creature advancing on him, and even if he managed to wound it, the man would finish him off.

Realas let out a shuddering breath and made his decision.

He clicked on his radio with his injured hand, wincing at the pain that lanced through him, and prayed that his last act could help to save others.

“Code Black! Code Bl—”

*

*

* 

The sight of Tifa asleep in his bed, her dark hair swirling across the deep purple surface of the satin pillows and the alluring bare lines of her collarbones barely visible above the sheets, made Rude feel a powerful urge to want to keep her there for the foreseeable future. Last night with her had been… well, it had outmatched every daydream he had ever thought up of what making love to her would be like.

For so long Rude had accepted the fact that his feelings for her would forever remain unrequited. That because of the things he had done in his life he would never deserve to have Tifa. Sometimes it still didn’t feel real that he’d been wrong, and she was with him. Loved him. Rude would do anything to keep it that way.

He would never forget last night. Giving her pleasure was always a privilege for him, but Rude couldn’t deny that, despite her inexperience, he’d never enjoyed sex so much as he did with her. Her body was a dream, better than any fantasy he’d made up in his head, and the way that she had responded to him… and then what had come _after_ …

When she’d pinned him down and discerned the reason for his enthusiastic reaction, Rude had been a little worried that she might not share his preference. He hadn’t been lying when he’d told her he didn’t need it like that, but then she’d driven all thoughts of anything but her from his mind by… _exploring_. She’d used her mouth on him, ordering him not to move, and he’d had to call on every last ounce of willpower to do as she wished.

He’d always been good at following orders.

She’d taken her time, moving with painstaking slowness down his body, and then engulfed him in her mouth without an ounce of hesitation. By the time he had finished in what was arguably the most powerful orgasm of his life, Rude had been shaking and covered in a fine layer of sweat, and Tifa had just given him a beaming smile. Her cheeks had been flushed and her eyes bright, and she’d crawled back up his body to rest her head on his chest before whispering, ‘ _you can move now_.’

Rude was glad he’d never brought anyone else to his apartment, especially a woman. The only one he wanted in his bed was her.

Tifa gave a soft sigh and shifted, and Rude straightened from where he’d been watching her in the doorway to his bathroom. He didn’t want her to wake alone, the morning after their first time together. _Her_ first time. He padded across the carpet and slipped back into bed beside her, gently brushing her hair out of her face as her eyes fluttered open.

It took a moment for her to blink the sleep away, and then Tifa grinned and her cheeks reddened, and Rude smiled at her fondly. It was endearing to him that even after all they had shared last night she still had the ability to be a bit bashful. She turned onto her side to face him, bringing a hand up and lacing it with his.

“Good morning,” Rude said softly.

“Good morning,” Tifa replied, and he leaned forward and kissed her. She sighed happily, and though neither of them made any move to deepen the kiss, he felt himself stirring at the feeling. _Later_ , Rude thought to his eager organ, he had plans for now. Pulling back, he gave Tifa another smile and then propped himself up on one elbow.

“Haven’t trained since before Nibelheim. Was wondering if you wanted to get some coffee and join me?” Rude asked her, and her eyes lit up with excitement, chasing away all traces of tiredness.

“That sounds great,” Tifa replied, sitting up slightly. At her movement, the sheet slid down and revealed her still-bare chest, and Rude couldn’t help but admire her perfect breasts. He reached out and skimmed the backs of his fingers across her collarbones, the curving slope of her breast, and then over her nipple. It hardened beneath his gaze and his touch, and in the morning light Rude couldn’t help but shift his attention to the thick white scar that split her chest.

Gently, slowly, he ran a finger along the center of it, and Tifa inhaled sharply. His eyes snapped up to hers and he paused.

“Does it bother you?” Rude asked her, not wanting to do anything that made her uncomfortable.

“Not the scar… just the memories,” she answered quietly, and he nodded. He understood exactly what she meant, and Rude leaned forward and pressed his lips to the valley between her breasts along the silvery line. She sighed at his gesture, a hand coming up to cup the back of his head, and then Rude shifted to lean over her and guide her into the pillows.

He was just contemplating putting his plans for coffee and training on hold after all, when his PHS gave a buzz from his nightstand. Rude slumped in disappointment as Tifa gave a breathy chuckle, and he reluctantly pulled away from her and moved to check his still-buzzing phone. He read the name on the screen and felt a flare of irritation.

“Dammit, Reno,” Rude growled, and then answered the call. “What?”

“Saddle up partner, we’re on the clock,” Reno said, and Rude straightened, knowing that something had to have happened to require them coming in today. At his side, Tifa rose, moving to slip out of bed. She must have heard Reno.

“Situation?”

“Distress call from Mideel. Monsters attacking the town. We’re in the air in twenty,” Reno said, and then the call abruptly ended.

“Raincheck?” Tifa quipped with a grin as she hurriedly yanked her clothing out of her bag. Rude huffed and nodded, ignoring the disappointment he felt as Tifa dressed and he lost sight of all that beautiful skin.

Definitely a raincheck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun!


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa and the Turks travel to Mideel to answer the distress call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some action and a few familiar faces.

The mood was tense as the chopper sped through the skies, chasing the sun towards Mideel. Reeve had sent out the alert, informing them that a distress call had come from the town and was followed by complete radio silence. Reno could admit that he was itching for a fight. The last time he’d got any action was when he and Rude had pelted the assassin with so many lightning bolts he’d been dead before he hit the ground.

Tseng, Elena and Vince were in the other chopper, while he rode with Rude, Lockhart, and the damned annoying talking cat. Apparently, Reeve had finished tweaking Cait Sith, and the thing wouldn’t shut up. Reeve had explained to him once that the base personality programming was loosely structured from his own brain, followed by extensive augmenting that allowed it to perform the tasks he needed it to. That _its_ personality wasn’t _his_ personality, but they shared some traits.

Reno thanked the gods that Reeve didn’t ramble like Cait did.

“It’ll be so good to get the gang back together again! Just like old times!” Cait exclaimed, flailing its arms as Lockhart struggled to hold onto it.

“Yeah, those times getting our asses kicked by Sephiroth, and Kadaj, and Omega. Good times,” Reno muttered, and Rude’s subtle cough reminded him that the open channel was still on.

Whatever.

Lockhart had contacted Cloud and Cid, requesting their assistance, but she wasn’t certain that they would make it to Mideel in time to be of help. Either the Turks and Lockhart would take care of whatever was causing the trouble, or they’d arrive to find everyone already dead and the threat long gone.

Gods he hoped it was the first.

“Is that smoke?” Rude’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, and Reno squinted his eyes as he looked at the horizon. There were several thin whirls of smoke coming from the treetops, right where he knew Mideel lay. Reno flipped the switch to expand the open channel, including the second chopper on their tail.

“Guys, we got smoke ahead. Tseng, what’s the plan?” Reno called. From the corner of his eye he saw Lockhart rise from her seat and joint them in the cockpit, standing just behind his seat.

“You three take point—”

“Four!” Cait cried indignantly.

“—and we’ll cover you at a distance. Primary objective is the protection of the townspeople, followed by elimination of hostiles, and then re-securing the facility,” Tseng listed, ignoring the cat’s interruption.

“Got it.”

“Copy,” Rude added.

The sun was getting low as they crested the last hill and Mideel came into view, and Reno quickly took in the three or four smoking buildings and small fires. Nothing too big, though they looked suspiciously like magical fire craters. Someone had been using materia.

“Oh gods,” Lockhart breathed, pointing down at something below them. Reno was glad he could land this thing with his eyes closed and one hadn’t tied behind his back, because when he noticed the body parts strewn across the landing pad, he couldn’t tear his gaze away.

“We got… pieces of people on the pad,” Reno said tightly, and then the chopper shuddered as he landed, his fingers flying across the controls as he shut it down. Lockhart quickly tossed Cait onto her shoulder and slid the door open before hopping out, Reno and Rude on her heels.

He flicked his mag-rod out, extending it with a static crack, and they quickly moved to the edge of the landing pad to survey the town. His jaw clenched when he saw smears of blood on the sidewalks around the facility, and more… severed limbs along the pathway into town.

“There could be people hurt or hiding, we need to look,” Lockhart said tightly, and then took the lead fearlessly. Reno and Rude shared a glance, both a little impressed at her willingness to wade through the bloody destruction before them, and wasted no time moving to her back. 

He’d seen some pretty horrible shit in his life, but the planet was supposed to be at peace now. Reno had become used to being, well, not one of the good guys, but not bad either. Whatever had orchestrated this was definitely _bad_.

It was a ghost town.

Broken windows, toppled carts, splatters and pools of blood over every damn surface in sight. And not a single sign of anything living… human _or_ monster.

“Were we too late?” Lockhart asked softly, her fists clenching at her sides as she gingerly stepped over a stream of blood. Reno tapped a finger to his earpiece, tightening his grip on his mag-rod.

“We’re not seeing anything down here. You guys?” he asked.

“Tracks, matching the monsters in Icicle and Nibelheim. Parts of victims, no intact bodies. Suspicious…” Vince responded.

“Suspicious?” Cait asked, its voice uncharacteristically subdued.

“Monsters usually take more. These ones especially,” the gunman replied.

“This doesn’t feel right…” Rude said tightly. Reno could hear the creaking of the leather of his gloves as he tightened his fists. His stomach felt tight and his nerves were firing, and Reno barely had enough time to recognize the feel of magic being pulled before the fire hit them.

The heat seared his face and burned his eyes as he was blown sideways, he could feel it lick across his skin, and for a moment he had the thought that this was it. 

This was how he went.

And then the heat ended abruptly and a sharp, biting cold took its place, and he came to awareness with a rush of breath. Reno, Rude and Lockhart had been thrown into the side of one of the buildings by a particularly powerful Firaga, which was currently being battled by the fighter’s ice magic. Cait was nowhere to be seen, but the three of them were surrounded by a sphere of glimmering ice, protecting them from the flames.

“Get ready,” Lockhart ground out, her teeth bared as she strained to maintain the magic. Reno shoved himself to his feet alongside his partner, both of them taking a fighting stance. He watched as the bright orange light behind their icy shield faded in intensity, and then Lockhart gave a short cry as she lunged forward and burst through it with her fist.

Reno followed just behind the sharp shards of ice, his keen senses honing in on the hooded figure across the pathway from them. It held a sword in its hand and raised it to block the flying, dagger-like icicles, and Reno swiftly slid beneath the blade and took out its knee with his rod. It gave a cry as its leg buckled, and Rude followed up with a spinning kick straight to the face.

The figure flew back, colliding hard with the wall of the building behind it, and Lockhart rolled over Rude’s back so smoothly it looked rehearsed before driving her fist into its chest with devastating force. Reno could _hear_ the crunch of bones as its chest caved in, and it hit the ground heavily, laying in an unmoving heap.

“Fuck yeah, we’re good,” Reno whistled, stepping forward to pull back the hood, revealing the face of a Genesis clone. Rude quickly reported their finding into his earpiece, but before they could get a reply, Cait’s voice rang out from atop the building they’d been blasted into.

“We’ve got company!”

He was standing on the roof, his whiskers singed and his brand-new cloak in tatters, pointing down the path. The red head turned to see three monsters tearing towards them, fangs bared as they snarled menacingly. As he twirled his mag-rod Reno heard the sudden crack of gunshots from the facility, and figured that the other team had their hands full too.

This smelled like a trap.

*

*

*

Reno was breathing raggedly, a cut on his chest stinging as his sweat dripped into it while he leaned over with his hands on his knees. There had been a dozen monsters and three more Genesis clones, and he could tell that things weren’t looking good. Rude had taken a blade to the shoulder, nearly lost his arm, and Lockhart had needed to heal it on the run. It was functional, but he could tell that it pained his partner every time he swung.

The fighter herself was completely drained of magic, a dangerous thing considering how likely it was one of them could take another deadly hit at any moment. He and Rude both had curative materia, but they weren’t nearly as proficient or quick as Lockhart when it came to healing. Cait had been flipping around the roof tops, hurling aero spells to knock their opponents off balance, but even he had limits when it came to magic.

Shit. Things weren’t looking good.

He could hear the continuing gunfire from the facility, a relief as it meant that they were all still alive, and then Reno rolled his eyes as another pair of monsters trailed by a clone charged at them.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Reno growled, whipping out his mag-rod and forcing himself to stand straight. He was just about to step forward to engage them when a sudden whistling sound caught his ears, and a flash of silver cut across his vision. Both monsters’ heads erupted in a spray of blood as they were removed from their bodies, and a lithe figure dropped down in front of him, catching the silver weapon as it arced back around.

Yuffie Kisaragi straightened in front of him, backlit by the bright orange sunset as she shook out her shuriken and turned to flash him a brilliant white smile. She wore those tiny shorts he loved so much, showing off long, lean legs, a strappy tactical vest and her big brown eyes were filled with mischief.

“Heya dickhead. Is that a mag-rod in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?”

High on adrenaline, pain, and sheer fucking relief, Reno barked out a manic laugh and stared at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Hell, she probably was. He could hear the roar of an engine overhead, and as the Shera soared into view, he finally found his voice.

“Princess, I think it’s a little bit of both.”

*

*

*

Tifa was so worn out she could barely see straight, and for a moment she couldn’t tell if the airship above them was real or not. And then, as it passed low directly over the town, a familiar figure leapt from the deck, flipping gracefully through the air to land in a low lunge with his sword held ready at his side. He wasted little time charging down the clone, his blade moving so fast she could barely track it.

“Cloud…” Tifa breathed, gathering her strength to move between Reno and Rude as the swordsman swiftly took down the Genesis clone. On the opposite side of the path Yuffie danced into view, hopping to Reno’s side and practically dragging him along with her towards the fighter. 

Gods it was so good to see them right now.

Cloud hurried to them when his enemy was defeated, his eyes flickering over her form and catching on the long cut across one forearm and the claw marks that shone through the shredded material of her pants.

“You okay?” he asked, glancing at the Turks before looking back to her.

“Yeah… it was a trap,” Tifa replied, smiling tiredly at Yuffie when the ninja cast a powerful cure over her, Reno and Rude. Apparently, she had kept all that mastered materia they’d given her to herself. “Thanks, Yuff.”

“Nice timing, Strife,” Reno chirped, and Tifa felt a stab of concern at how tired he sounded. The Turks were tough, and fighting with them had been a surreal experience, but none of them had prepared for the lethality of their enemies.

“Cid and Nanaki are at the facility. We should head there now,” Cloud said, readjusting his grip on the hilt of his sword before taking the lead up the path. If Tifa hadn’t been so tired she would have smiled at the way that Yuffie dragged Reno along by the hand, the red head entirely allowing himself to be led.

“Come on, Cait,” Tifa called, and reached out to catch the cat as it jumped off the roof and into her arms.

They rushed up the path, following the sound of gunshots and cursing, until they found the other group efficiently finishing off a small pack of monsters. Nanaki was clinging to the flank of one, his powerful jaws locked over the back of its neck, pinning it in place as Cid leapt up into the air and came down with his spear, plunging it into the monster’s skull. It twitched and its tail flailed weakly, until Cid gave another twist of his spear and finally fell still.

“Man, these fuckers are hard to kill,” Cid spat, and then his eyes snapped up as Tifa and the others, led by Cloud, joined them on the landing platform. “You guys look like shit!”

“Shut up old man, we just got here. They’ve been fighting for _freaking ever_ ,” Yuffie snapped, and she’d finally released Reno’s hand in favor of draping his arm across her shoulders to better support him. Even with her curative magic, they were exhausted. Vincent was nowhere to be seen, but both Tseng and Elena looked as if they’d fared only slightly better than Tifa and the others.

They were standing back-to-back with each other and were checking their guns, and it didn’t escape Tifa’s notice that there were tears in their suits and fatigue in their eyes. Tseng gave the group a nod as they approached, Rude heading over to speak with the long-haired man.

“Yeah, well maybe if they were better at it, we wouldn’t have to finish the fucking job ourselves!” Cid growled, and Tifa may have been offended if she hadn’t known him better. As it was, the sound of their bickering was giving her an even worse headache, and the fighter let out a sigh as she turned to head towards the chopper and the store of potions she knew lay within.

“Maybe if you flew better—”

Before Tifa could hear what kind of creative insult the ninja could throw at Cid there was a sudden roaring in her ears and a brightness growing from the corner of her eye. _Firaga_. Calling on the last of her magic reserves, Tifa curled her body over Cait and surrounded them with a wall.

She had a split second to feel the white-hot pain of the fire before the chopper exploded behind her and her vision went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruh-roh.  
> Comments and critique are always appreciated!


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa and the Turks run a rescue mission at the WRO headquarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of you won't be surprised at the end of this chapter...

The first thing she felt was the heat.

Before she became aware of the throbbing pain shooting throughout her entire body, she felt the fire and smoke, choking her. _Not again… not again_ … Tifa coughed roughly, the sensation dream-like in a way she couldn’t immediately discern, until she realized it was because she couldn’t hear herself cough. She couldn’t hear anything.

Something tapped her face, soft and plush, and Tifa forced her eyes to open to see a familiar, if blackened, furry face. Cait was saying something, but she couldn’t make it out, and his inhuman lips were impossible to read. She tried to sit up, her body screaming in agony, and Tifa managed to lift her head enough to look at the carnage around her.

The chopper she had been standing next to was completely destroyed, warped pieces of metal stabbing at the air as it burned. She knew that if she hadn’t have cast that wall on them, they’d both be dead right now. And the others…

Tifa drew on her remaining strength to push herself up on trembling arms, Cait still trying to speak in front of her, but before she could look for her friends she caught sight of Mideel below the edge of the landing pad.

It was on fire.

Everything was burning, the flames reaching high into the sky that had darkened with the setting of the sun. For a moment she wasn’t seeing Mideel anymore. Her eyes saw the well, the inn, her house, all burning bright. _Not again_ … Movement caught her attention, something rising from the flames, and Tifa felt her body seize as the figure sharpened into a horrifyingly recognizable shape.

It was too dark for her to make out his features, but she would never forget that silhouette. The long, flowing hair, elegant coat, and the massive feathered wing that stretched out behind him as he rose. Her scar _ached_ when she saw the blade held away from his body. She knew that sword intimately.

 _Not again_ …

_Sephiroth._

A hand on her shoulder had her flinching back, her fist raised to defend herself, and she quickly came back to herself when she saw Rude’s concerned face. His mouth was moving, she thought she recognized the way her name was formed, but all she could hear was a high-pitched ringing. Better than silence, but still…

Tifa raised a hand from the ground, nearly toppling over as she lost her balance, before tapping by her ear as she shook her head. Rude’s brow furrowed and he nodded, then reached out to help her up. She took his hand and tried to stand, but a sharp pain stabbed at her knee and she gasped, gritting her teeth against the discomfort. Something was torn…

Rude wasted no time reaching down to slip an arm under her legs and lift her in his arms, Tifa barely having enough time to grasp Cait’s arm and pull him up with her. She tried not to cry out at the pain in her knee and back, but she must have made a noise because she could feel the rumble in Rude’s chest as he said something to her.

She looked across the landing pad to see the second chopper, filled with Turks, spinning up, and Rude smoothly loped across the distance and deposited her onto the floor. Tifa set Cait aside and used the handrails to hoist herself up onto the seat as Rude followed and the chopper took to the air. Elena stepped in front of her, holding out her wrist which gleamed with green materia and placing her hand gently on the side of Tifa’s head.

The fighter’s eyes shuttered closed as the cool, tingling magic flowed through her, and her ears gave a pop before they were assaulted by sound. She winced, everything coming back at once, and felt Elena’s other hand come up to rest on her shoulder as a pair of headphones was placed over her ears.

“Tifa? Can you hear me?”

“Yeah… thanks…” Tifa panted, feeling her stomach flipping as they soared away from the town. She opened her eyes to look over her shoulder, past Rude who was standing with his hands gripping at the rails. The bright orange smear across the landscape where Mideel had once been was breathtaking in the most horrible of ways.

The flames looked like a living thing, twisting and swirling into the air. She searched for the figure from her nightmares, eyes unblinking, but there was no way to see through the fire. Mideel was gone, its people were gone…

There was nothing left.

The smell of smoke and blood filled her nostrils, and Tifa felt her hands shake as she recalled what she had seen rising from the flames. It had only been visible for a moment, but she had been certain… Was it just in her head? Had seeing the town destroyed, so much like Nibelheim, made her imagine him?

“Did you see it?” Tifa whispered, and when no one responded she cleared her throat and tried again, stronger this time. “Did anyone else see it?”

Tseng turned from his seat in the cockpit to look back at her, his mouth set in a grim line and his eyes dark.

“We saw him.”

Him.

It wasn’t in her mind. He was real. He was back.

Sephiroth.

“Oh no…” Cait said, his hands coming to cover his mouth.

“Yeah… not good,” Reno ground out. But Cait shook his head frantically and nearly fell off the bench as he scrambled to his feet.

“No… guys, it’s headquarters. In Edge. It’s under attack.” 

*

*

*

She was bone tired when Edge finally came into view. They had all raided the stores of potions and ethers in the chopper, doing what they could to gather information as they flew full speed towards their destination. They’d each needed another round of healing, but even with that, Tifa was sure she could sleep for a week.

Elena had helped her wipe the blood and soot from her face in silence, both of them still in a sort of functional shock at what had occurred in Mideel. They had all suffered losses before, but this felt different in a way that Tifa couldn’t describe. Nothing they had done had made any difference. And Tifa _hated_ feeling helpless.

Rude had been quieter than usual the entire ride back, and I between preparing for what was coming, Tifa had felt a sliver of worry. He wasn’t speaking to anyone, his frame tight with tension and his lips set in an unyielding line, and she wondered if he had perhaps been more injured that she thought. It wasn’t until Elena had reached over and flicked the switch to her headset to the private channel that Tifa learned what was wrong.

“We didn’t see you shield. We just saw the chopper blow with you practically in it. He probably thought you were dead,” Elena had told her, working her jaw as she paused. “I thought you were dead. Glad you’re quick with that materia.” The blonde had gripped her hand almost uncomfortably tightly before reaching up to flick the switch on her headset before returning to her tablet without another word.

She was touched by the sentiment, knowing that ‘feelings’ weren’t really something that the Turks were good at expressing. Tifa knew that this wasn’t the time or place to comfort Rude about her near-death experience, and she could only hope that they’d be able to handle the upcoming situation without anyone else getting blown up.

Cloud, Cid, Yuffie and Nanaki had fled on the Shera when the first chopper went up, trying to gain enough altitude to see where the attacks were coming from. Vincent had radioed later, informing them that he was tracking one of the clones through the forest, and that he would continue doing so while they aided HQ.

Through Cait, they had learned from Reeve that it appeared they had a traitor in the ranks of the WRO. Someone with security access had allowed a pack of monsters and clones in through the warehouse entrance, and then disabled the defensive and communication programs. He had managed to hole himself up in his office, relying on Cait to relay messages.

“Get ready. Reno, Rude, you’ll take Cait Sith and work your way down from the top. Miss Lockhart, you will come with Elena and I. We’ll jump off on the sixteenth-story balcony and clear the floors to the director and Rufus’s offices,” Tseng ordered, switching seats with Rude and moving to stand next to Elena. Tifa pulled herself to her feet as the long-haired Turk slid the door open. And then his words caught up with her as Reno tilted the chopper downward and a lengthy balcony came into view.

Jump?

At her side Elena reached up to pull off Tifa’s headset, hanging it on the rack before drawing her gun and giving the fighter a nod. Shaking her head with a low exhale, Tifa took a ready stance as Reno angled the chopper and dropped so close to the building that the blades whirled mere inches from the windows. The three leapt in unison, hanging in the air for a moment before the balcony rushed up to meet them.

Tifa landed in a low roll before springing back up to her feet, her senses sharp and alert, ready for what they had to do. Tseng took point, his gun held aloft as Elena opened the door and they entered the building. She could hear muffled sounds both above and below them, but the large lounge space they had entered was empty. There were chairs overturned and a vending machine sparking in the corner, but there was no sign of anyone or anything.

“We need to move. The director’s office is two floors up, Rufus’s the one above that. Strife and your friends will be clearing the building from the ground up,” Tseng said, his eyes flitting around the space as they moved. Tifa and Elena followed, moving towards the emergency stairwell. They quickly ascended the stairs, Tifa having a moment of déjà vu at the sensation of staring up at the seemingly endless steps.

When they had reached the floor where Reeve’s office lay, they could hear the sounds of gunshots, and then a loud ‘crack’ echoed above them, and Elena gave a growl.

“Rufus…”

“You guys help Reeve, I’ll get Rufus,” Tifa said, and Tseng gave her a grateful nod before he and Elena burst through the door to the office. The fighter wasted no time rushing up the stairs, skipping two at a time, and then quietly, stealthily opened the door to the next floor. The large open layout was covered in broken furniture and no less than three monster corpses, and a fourth limped heavily as it advanced on a white-clad, slumped figure on the far side of the room.

Tifa sprang forward and the monster must have heard her, because its head snapped to the side and it snarled as it swiped out with razor-sharp talons. She ducked under the blow, falling into a lunge as she put herself between the creature and its target. With a cry, Tifa drove her fist into the monster’s throat, upper-cutting it with all of her strength.

The snarl cut off into a choked sound, and she didn’t waste any time hurtling a fist full of ice into its face. Dark blood flew from its head as shards the size of baseball bats embedded itself into the monster’s skull, causing it to fly backwards across the room.

“Your timing is impeccable as always, Miss Lockhart,” a low voice sounded from behind her, and Tifa turned to see Rufus staring up at her with pain-laden eyes. There was a dark bruise on his cheek and one of his pantlegs was torn, staining the edges of the frayed material deep red.

“Should I go back? Give you two a few more minutes alone?” Tifa quipped, though she was already moving towards him. He held a shotgun loosely in one hand and was loading bullets into it with the other. Rufus gave a tired laugh, his head slumping forward, and she grimaced when she saw the extent of the damage to his leg. When she hit it with a strong cure the skin began to knit itself back together, though it did little to change his concerning pallor.

“We need to get moving. There’s a safe room two floors above us. Communications are out, but it’s standard procedure to hold up there,” Rufus said, grasping the edge of the railing behind him with a white-knuckled grip as he attempted to pull himself to his feet. She quickly moved to assist him, helping him to stand and then taking his non-gun arm and draping it over her shoulders.

“This feels familiar,” Tifa huffed, and he hummed in response as she helped him limp back towards the stairwell.

“It _is_ becoming a habit.”

Their travel was slow-going, and Tifa did her best not to wince at the way Rufus’s breathing rattled inn his chest. She had cured him, but she suspected that the damage was from a different, older enemy.

“What happened in Mideel?” Rufus asked, his voice airy and thin. She imagined he needed a distraction.

“Trap. Everyone was already dead. Monsters and Genesis clones. Mideel is… it’s gone,” Tifa ended her words on a whisper, and found that she was unable to tell him what else they had discovered there. She could still hardly believe it herself, and Tifa wondered why, if it had really been Sephiroth, he hadn’t gone straight for Cloud.

As he always had.

“Someone has been planning this. Someone on the inside,” Rufus said.

“We figured that out too,” Tifa replied, and then pushed open the door that led to the entrance to the safe room. She immediately found herself staring down the barrel of a gun, and instinctively shifted her body to place herself between Rufus and the one holding the gun. Her brow furrowed in confusion when she recognized the white-blonde hair and deep blue eyes of Viridia Freeslin.

“Don’t move,” Freeslin ground out, and Tifa took in her appearance; her hair was a mess, falling out of the high pony tail she wore and spilling over one shoulder. Her deep red lacy tank top was worn at one shoulder, an angry cut stretching across her collar bone.

“Freeslin… what are you doing?” Tifa asked carefully, fully aware of the way Rufus was subtly shifting his weight, likely to leverage his shotgun up. She gave him a warning squeeze at his waist, praying that he’d let her try to talk the woman down.

“Just… stay there… where’s Reeve?” Freeslin demanded, and though her face was set in a stern, determined expression, her voice trembled tellingly.

“What are you going to do once you find him, doctor?” Rufus asked her, and the woman’s eyes widened slightly.

“Help him! Why would you ask that? Unless…”

“We have a traitor in the WRO, doctor. I imagine that person would very much like to find the director,” the former president said, and Freeslin’s eyes filled with tears as her hand shook.

“They’re all dead…” she whimpered.

“Who’s dead?” Tifa asked, hoping that she wasn’t the traitor. She didn’t know exactly what was going on with her and Vincent, but her friend would be crushed by the betrayal. And Tifa genuinely _liked_ her.

“My team. A clone, he just tore right through them. I barely made it out,” Freeslin said, her tears spilling over her cheeks. That kind of emotion didn’t seem feigned, and Tifa considered that the woman was running on shock, grief, and adrenaline.

“Reeve is okay. We’re going to the safe room. Come with us,” Tifa said, hoping that she was right. The doctor took a shuddering in inhale and then let it out, the gun lowering as she dropped her head.

“I’m sorry… when the communications went down, I knew. And then the clones, and—”

“If you please, doctor, we should get to the safe room now,” Rufus said tightly, and Tifa noticed that he was leaning more of his weight on her. Freeslin nodded her head, turning and walking towards the upper end of the floor. Tifa and Rufus followed, the latter continuing to slow as he panted in exertion, and when Freeslin reached the door she quickly tapped a code into the console at the door.

The door slid open and just as Tifa felt relief flow through her that they were safe, a bright flash of lightning sparked across her vision, a powerful thundaga hurtling all three of them backwards.

She landed roughly on Rufus’s arm, her entire body clenching in pain as her muscles seized and contorted from the electricity. She heard Freeslin scream, the sound ending abruptly, and then there was a boot connecting with her ribs, sending her flying to the side with a sharp cry.

Tifa’s body rolled until she ended up on her side, and she opened her eyes to see shiny black boots stepping towards her. Her eyes followed them, up dark slacks and a light blue shirt beneath a white lab coat, and then to the smugly handsome face of Dr. Vendi.

_Son of a bitch._

“Surprised?” Vendi droned, his bored tone contradicting the excited gleam in his eyes.

“No… you’re… an asshole…” Tifa ground out, trying with all the strength she had to fight the effects of the lightning magic. Vendi chuckled and kneeled down next to her, pulling out a needle from the pocket of his jacket. Her blood ran cold as he pulled off the cap, and Tifa screamed behind closed teeth as he stuck it in the side of her neck.

She was a world-class fighter, powerful magic user, and had saved the planet. But she couldn’t do _anything_ to stop this traitorous pig of a man from injecting her with whatever was in that needle.

“I’ve got plans for you. _He’s_ got plans for you, actually, but once that’s over, you’re mine,” Vendi told her, reaching a hand up to run his fingers across her skin. Tifa tried to flinch away from his touch, but her head was suddenly fuzzy, and her vision began to blur at the edges.

A sedative… 

Her fear spiked, trying not to imagine what it was he wanted with her as her limbs began to unclench from the magic, and then fall limp due to the drugs. She was completely at his mercy. She was helpless.

“I’m going to break you. I don’t care how long it takes. He’s going to teach me, and then I’m going to tear you apart,” Vendi continued, petting her hair in what would have been a comforting motion had it been _anyone_ else.

“You’ll never get the chance.”

Vendi whirled towards the voice, his eyes going wide a moment before his head suddenly exploded in a spray of blood and gore. Drops of it rained on the side of Tifa’s face as her ears rang once again, and she felt as though she were underwater as her savior spoke again.

“Miss Lockhart,” Rufus said, his face hovering over hers. She could see the pain in his eyes and the blood trickling from his nose, and Tifa let out a choked laugh that ended up more like a sob. Rufus reached out and gently turned her onto her back, using the sleeve of his jacket to wipe at the blood on her face.

“Ruf... Rufus…” she slurred, and he gave her a faint smile.

“It was about time I saved your life,” he told her, his voice sounding far away. Tifa blinked sluggishly, her body feeling heavy and cold, and she found herself being tugged towards sleep. The slide of a door echoed through her ears, and Tifa’s head lolled to the side to search for the source of the sound.

As much as she tried to fight it, she was pulled into unconsciousness, and the last thing she saw was a hooded figure advancing on them bearing long, terrifyingly familiar blade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger!  
> Thank you for reading, comments and critique are always appreciated.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rude and Reno clear the upper floors of HQ, and make a frightening discovery.

The going was tough, messy, and the silence of the device in his ear was deafening. Rude and Reno had cleared six floors so far, through the bloody massacre that had occurred in the research levels and the utter destruction in the equipment lab. Someone had been on a mission, and had removed whatever it was that they were looking for.

There had been a few monsters roaming the floors, working their way through the piles of bodies, and a single clone that they had made surprisingly quick work of. Something seemed off though, and Rude couldn’t quite put his finger on it. That there was a traitor was obvious, but he was at a loss as to why someone needed lab equipment when they already had the means to create clones and monsters.

Cait Sith trailed behind them as they cleared the floors, reporting when the others had rescued Reeve and secured him in the safe room. He’d been relatively quiet as they cleared the next floor of an already injured monster, and the moment it was dead he piped up excitedly.

“Yuffie is in the systems! Communications restored!” the cat said, punching into the air with one gloved fist. In Rude’s ear, the small device gave a crackle and Tseng’s voice sounded.

“Reno, Rude, you need to get to the 43rd floor safe room. It’s Rufus…” Tseng said, his tone curt and tight in a way that instantly had Rude locking eyes with his partner. Reno grimaced and took the lead, rushing towards the stairwell and practically leaping down entire sets while Rude followed. They could hear Cait yelling after them, and Rude knew that the door shutting behind them had effectively locked him out, but he didn’t slow.

He could smell ozone and a bitter burnt scent the moment that Reno shoved the door open, and at his partner’s gasped curse, Rude knew he wouldn’t like what he was about to see. There were scorch marks across the floor and up the walls, expanding out from the doorway that led to the safe room. As Rude stepped to Reno’s side his heart stopped at the sight of the painfully familiar body that lay in the center of the room.

A sword was embedded through Rufus Shinra’s chest, pinning him to the floor. His white jacket was stained almost entirely red, and the dark crimson liquid surrounded his body in a horrifyingly large pool. Reno and Rude were both frozen in shock at the sight of their boss’s body, and he hoped, _prayed_ , that he was dreaming. 

The sudden sound of light footfalls had him spinning, coming back to awareness with rising fury, just to feel it wash away at the sight of Yuffie Kisaragi’s wide-eyed face. She paused mid-step, looking past Rude and Reno at the body behind them.

“Didn’t think it was real…” the ninja whispered, stepping forward to move between the Turks and approach Rufus. Rude wanted to stop her, wanted to put himself between her and his boss, but he couldn’t force himself to move.

He had failed.

They had _failed_.

Missions had been lost before, tasks unfinished, but nothing like this. Rufus Shinra was _dead_. And they weren’t. Rude swallowed heavily and his eyes fell to the floor, furious and devastated, and feeling more _lost_ than he ever had. He wouldn’t have called them fond friends, but Rufus had been family. They’d all been together for so long, he didn’t want to think of what life would be like without him.

“Holy shit!” the ninja suddenly exclaimed, and Rude turned to see her crouching at Rufus’s side, her fingers at his neck. “Guys, he still alive!”

…

“WHAT?” Reno practically screamed as he scrambled towards Rufus, Rude hot on his heels. Kisaragi was pulling at Rufus’s jacket, and she put a hand out as the red head reached for the blade.

“Don’t! I can barely get a pulse, we do this wrong and he’s gone,” the ninja said, her tone deadly serious. Reno and Rude shared a glance, both unwilling to do anything to put Rufus at further risk. The sudden flare of hope he felt had the fighter nearly vibrating, and he gave his partner a nod.

“What do we do?” Rude asked, and Kisaragi shook her wrist, the materia on her bangle gleaming brightly.

“Who’s the stronger healer?” she asked.

“Rude,” Reno said immediately, and he didn’t argue. He was only slightly better with materia, but right now, it _mattered_.

“Okay. Here’s what we do…” Kisaragi said as she popped a green materia out of her bangle and handed it to Rude. “I’m gonna hit him with a regen,” she started, pulling _another_ green materia from her belt pouch and re-slotting it, “When it settles, Reno will pull the sword out, and then you and I will curaga the crap out of him.”

Rude exhaled loudly through his nose, his anxiety rising at her choice of words, but he had to admit that it was a sound plan.

“Yeah… yeah, let’s do this,” Reno said, stepping forward and readying his hands over the hilt of the sword.

“Make sure you really yank on it, you gotta get it out fast,” Kisaragi pressed.

“I got it, let’s go,” the red head growled.

“Okay…” the ninja said, and then held a hand out over Rufus. A faint green shimmer spread across his body, slowly sinking down beneath the blood-stained jacket and disappearing inside of him. “Now!”

Reno gave a grunt of effort and wrenched the blade upward, Rufus’s body jerking sickeningly as the sword came free. The moment that the blade was gone blood pooled at the wound site, but Kisaragi and Rude were already casting. The magic pulled at him as he drew on the materia, focusing all of his willpower on healing his boss… on doing his job to keep him alive.

His head throbbed as the magic took its due, and the feathery green glow from the curagas slowly faded. He could see signs of life now, as he stared at Rufus’s body, in the faint rise and fall of his chest and the twitching of his fingers.

“He lost a ton of blood… he’ll need a transfusion or donor or whatever. We can’t get him that and it won’t mean squat that we healed him,” Kisaragi said, wiping her hands and then replacing her fingers at the former president’s neck. She reached up to her ear piece with the opposite hand and began sending rapid instructions for an emergency medical team to be sent to them. 

“Yo, check this out,” Reno said, his eyes on one of the bloody bodies a few feet around Rufus. The red head hastily dropped his sword he’d pulled from Rufus as he crouched next to the body, examining it closely. “Shotgun… Rufus killed him.”

“That’s gross,” Kisaragi sneered, grimacing at the gory mess that had once been the man’s head. She continued to keep a hand on Rufus’s pulse, monitoring his vitals while they waited for the emergency medical teams. Rude hoped that Strife’s group had cleared the way from the bottom, and that the medics would be willing to enter the building after so many people had died here.

“Shit… I think we found our traitor. Fucking _bastard_ ,” Reno hissed, yanking something off the now pink lab coat and tossing it to Rude. He caught it deftly, flipping around what he discovered to be an ID card to look at the information.

Dr. James Vendi.

That asshole.

Tifa _definitely_ should have broken his wrist.

His head turned at the sound of footsteps from the stairwell, and Tseng and Elena burst through the door, their eyes widening in unison as they found Rufus’s body. Tseng remained fixed in the doorway, but Elena rushed towards Rufus, frantically pulling up her sleeve to reveal her materia bangle beneath.

“Wait, we already healed him,” Kisaragi said, holding up a hand.

“He’s alive?” Tseng questioned, finally entering the room.

“Barely. Lost a lot of blood. I called for medics,” Kisaragi replied.

“We heard,” Tseng said, indicating to the device in his ear. “We didn’t think it was for Rufus.”

“Where’s Tifa?”

At Elena’s question Rude felt his chest tighten and he fought to push down the panic rising in him. They’d seen no sign of her, and he’d been too preoccupied with his concern for Rufus to focus on the fact that they hadn’t heard from her yet.

“Is she on another floor?” Kisaragi asked, and the fear in her eyes was enough to make his throat feel tight.

“We split up… went for Reeve, she came up here for Rufus…” Elena said, her hands shaking tellingly as she laid it on Rufus’s chest.

“Perhaps she was attacked, pulled off mission,” Tseng offered, frowning as his eyes flitted towards Rude. He was trying to control his breathing, trying to stay focus, but he couldn’t help the way that his heart was pounding in his chest.

“Or she found Rufus like this, thought he was dead and kept clearing floors,” Reno added. He didn’t even seem to believe what he was saying.

“No, we heard his shotgun on the floor above us, he was still there,” Elena argued, her voice tight.

“Or we could… you know, stop speculating and watch the security feeds,” Kisaragi snapped, pointing towards the small black half dome on the ceiling above them.

“Shit…” Reno said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Elena sprang up from Rufus’s side and rushed into the safe room. Rude could hear something clattering, falling to the floor, and then the blonde Turk strode quickly back towards them with a tablet in her hands.

“Okay… I got it…” Elena said, tapping at the screen.

“I wanna see!” Kisaragi whined, not moving from her place at Rufus’s side. Elena rolled her eyes but dropped to one knee beside the ninja, holding the tablet out as the rest of the Turks gathered behind her. Rude stared at the screen as the surveillance feed booted up, holding his breath as the image began to move in double speed.

Elena slowed it when three figures came into view, and Rude had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from making a sound of relief when he recognized them. He was less relieved a moment later. Rufus was being supported by Tifa, and the pair being held at gunpoint by a shaking Dr. Freeslin. He ground his teeth together at the thought that they had been betrayed by her too, until the doctor lowered her gun and turned to lead them into the safe room.

So, she had just been frightened… but still, there was no sign of Freeslin _or_ Tifa here…

The screen suddenly flashed white, the image filled with static, and then began to clear again to show the three of them on the floor, twitching as arcs of electricity passed over their bodies.

“Lightning magic,” Tseng stated quietly, though he needn’t have. They all recognized the spell.

“Fucker,” Reno growled as a fourth person came into view, and Rude silently echoed the sentiment. Vendi sauntered forwards, kicking out viciously at Freeslin’s face in a manner that made Rude wonder if he hadn’t snapped her neck with the blow. He then turned towards Tifa, and Kisaragi let out a quiet whimper when the doctor pulled a long needle from his pocket and injected her with its contents.

He knew her well enough to know that Tifa had to be _pissed_. She didn’t like not being in control, and she really didn’t like Vendi.

When he started touching her Rude felt like the floor had dropped out from under him, and it took everything he had to not turn away from what he was seeing. Never mind breaking his wrist. He wanted to cut it off. And then he saw Rufus lift a shaking arm, his shotgun extended, and Vendi turned his face to look at the former president at the same moment he pulled the trigger.

That dark part of him that could do a Turk’s work felt viciously satisfied at the sight of the man’s head exploding, and Rude felt relieved that, at the very least, Tifa had been spared whatever Vendi had planned for her.

Rufus had managed to pull himself over to Tifa, gently pushing her to her back and wiping at the blood covering half of her face. Rude could see that whatever she had been injected with was taking effect as her body went limp and her head lolled to the side, and then Rufus’s head jerked up. The former president snatched his shotgun and began to raise it, but a dark figure blurred forward and drove its sword into his chest in an instant, pinning him to the ground.

Rufus’s shotgun clattered to the floor, just out of his reach, and Rude watched as he choked, drowning on his own blood while the figure pulled back its hood to reveal itself as a Genesis clone. The clone turned away from the dying blonde and reached for Tifa, hauling her unconscious body up over its shoulder. It turned to leave, walking towards the stairwell on the opposite side of the floor, before pausing next to Freeslin.

The clone grabbed Freeslin by her upper arm, dragging her along roughly, and then they disappeared offscreen and Elena clicked the tablet off. They stood or kneeled in silence, each processing what they had seen.

As much as Rude feared for Tifa, he knew that the fact that she was taken alive was a good thing. It meant she was needed for something, and that perhaps that something would keep her breathing until they could find them.

“I… I’ll keep checking through surveillance. Maybe I can figure out where they went from here,” Elena said quietly, breaking the silence. Her words seemed to snap everyone out of the trance they’d been in, and Tseng stepped away to speak into his ear piece while Reno squatted down next to Kisaragi to check Rufus.

Rude… wasn’t sure what to do. He could hear through the comm in his ear that Strife had cleared the rest of the floors and that medics were inbound. Kisaragi was caring for Rufus, Elena was on surveillance, there was nothing else that he could do right now. He wanted, more than anything, to find Tifa and put his fist through that damned clone’s face.

But he couldn’t.

At this moment, he couldn’t do a damn thing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The big bad is revealed next chapter!  
> Thank you for reading, comments and critique are always appreciated!


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa wakes up to a nightmare from the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the big bad...

Her head was pounding when she finally became aware of herself again, and Tifa couldn’t help but think that she was sick and tired of waking up in pain. It took a great deal of effort to open her eyes, and a good deal more to get them to focus on the dim light. She had expected to end up in the safe room, or to wake up under the bright lights of a hospital bed, but the gray-green glow that began to fill her vision was something different.

She tried to sit up, her head swimming, but she found she couldn’t move. Awareness bled back to the fighter, and she found she was laying on a cold, hard surface and her wrists and ankles were secured firmly. Panic rose in her, but Tifa fought it down, breathing slowly through her nose as she focused on her new surroundings.

She was in what appeared to be a massive underground cavern, with glowing crystals emerging from the walls and ceilings, and ancient coral structures similar to those which she had seen in the City of the Ancients. Tifa didn’t recall caves like this one there though…

And then there was the equipment. Large devices and computers set up haphazardly, pieced together by a twisting network of cables and clamps. There were two large mako tanks, thankfully empty, and as Tifa took stock of herself she realized that her equipment was missing. No gloves. No bangle. No materia.

She lifted her head as much as possible, straining against the throbbing in her head, and saw another metal slab across from hers. And it was occupied.

Dr. Freeslin lay unconscious, bound in the same restraints as Tifa, and the fighter could see a dark bruise spreading across the side of her face. Her chest rose and fell, providing only a hint of relief, as Tifa then wondered where Rufus was. He had saved her, she remembered that much, from whatever it had been that Vendi wanted with her. But he wasn’t here… and they were…

Tifa had a bad feeling…

A soft flutter in the air caught her attention, and Tifa rolled her head to the side to see a figure slowly descending through a narrow opening the cavern ceiling. Her breath stuttered and her eyes widened in shock and terror as she recognized the outstretched wing, the flowing hair… 

_Sephiroth._

He descended through the air, landing gracefully without a sound and advancing towards her as Tifa struggled against the unyielding metal trapping her.

She knew that she couldn’t do anything against him. Even if she’d been free with all of her equipment, she stood little chance against this man. Tifa stilled herself, masked her fear and anger and faced him with her chin raised. It was all she could do.

As he moved into the light Tifa’s eyes narrowed, catching the subtle crimson sheen of his jacket, and then the fact that his waist-length hair was a deep, rusty red rather than silver. The hilt of the sword strapped to his back wasn’t the straight, unadorned handle of Masamune either…

This wasn’t Sephiroth.

Tifa examined his face as he finally stopped a dozen feet away, not failing to miss the strange, shining steel band around his forehead. It didn’t match the rest of his elegant attire, and Tifa was finally able to recognize the man, even beyond his eerily blank expression.

“Genesis?”

Her voice was rough from disuse, but loud enough, and Genesis made no move to suggest he had heard her. He simply stared straight ahead, his mako blue eyes clear and utterly empty. This man was different that the clones she had seen and fought, not only his coloring, but in the power she could feel radiating from him. 

“Genesis? Can you hear me?” Tifa asked again, but once more, he ignored her.

“He can’t hear you. He only hears my voice.”

It was a voice she had heard in her head, in her nightmares, for years. For a moment, she thought she was mistaken, and then he strode forward past the thick metal slab she was secured to, his white lab coat fluttering behind him.

Tifa looked at his back, at the long, messy black pony tail, the way he prowled around Genesis’s still form, muttering to himself. She saw the green light of the crystals reflect off his glasses and the sleek head band across his forehead, and Tifa felt more afraid that she ever had in her life.

She _wished_ it had been Sephiroth.

At least she was sure her death would come quicker at Masamune’s end than whatever it was this man had planned for her. Because if there was one thing she knew, it was that Professor Hojo was utterly without mercy.

And he was dead.

“You’re dead,” Tifa whispered her thoughts out loud, her eyes locked onto him. “You’re dead… I was there. I saw you die.”

“Hm? Yes, yes, the original perished. A shame the body was destroyed. Would have made a fascinating specimen to study,” Hojo said without looking at her, tapping at a tablet he pulled from his lab coat as he stood next to Genesis. The tall, red-haired man shifted, removing his long crimson blade from his back and setting it against one of the mako tanks before laying back on an empty metal berth.

“Of course, I made many copies of myself. Backups, you see. The memory implant process was tedious, but successful. _Shinra_ couldn’t be trusted, I was sure he’d send his Turks after me at some point,” Hojo continued, setting restraints around Genesis’s wrists and ankles. Tifa could practically feel the man’s hatred when he spat the name ‘Shinra,’ and she was certain now that he had ordered the hit on Rufus in Junon. 

“The original made arrangements, set us to grow in the Deepground facility away from prying eyes. There was damage in some meaningless scuffle. I woke there alone, learned what I could about what had occurred in the world in the time after the memory transfer. Such fascinating happenings! Meteor, Holy, the Remnants! I should have liked to examined them in their maturity!”

Tifa felt sick, knowing that when Hojo wanted to ‘examine’ something, it usually meant taking it apart.

“Ah, time to recharge. Even failures have their uses,” the doctor muttered to himself as he tapped at the tablet. Genesis’s eyes closed and didn’t open again, and Hojo reached up to remove the band from his head. He set it aside before doing the same to Genesis. The soft sound of footsteps heralded the appearance of two hooded figures that moved to stand on either side of the slab upon which Genesis lay, seeming to be content to remain motionless and silent.

“What do you want?” Tifa asked Hojo, immediately regretting speaking when he turned his full attention to her. He sneered, showing sharp teeth and dark eyes.

“Everything. The cells died with the original. Not enough for us, no… and the mutations were… unpredictable. But I understand now. I see the mistakes made, the missing variables,” Hojo said, placing his hands on the edge of the slab she was strapped to and leaning over her. “The right components will create the desired results.”

“Why am I here?” Tifa breathed, though what she really wondered was _why am I alive_.

“Ah, the final piece! The only success, the stable variable! The rest of her is gone, destroyed, forever out of reach. Such a shame,” Hojo said, and Tifa felt a shiver run down her spine. He was talking about Jenova cells. Jenova… “But he will come for you. He will come to me, and when he is dead, I will harvest all I need from his corpse, and I will begin again!”

Oh gods.

She understood what he wanted, and Tifa couldn’t help the tears that gathered in her eyes. _Cloud_. He wanted Cloud’s cells. The last carrier of Jenova’s genetics, and the only one who had successfully bonded with them. And Tifa…

“I’m bait.”

“Indeed. You are smarter than you look,” Hojo scoffed, and then whipped away from her and strode towards the far end of the cavern, where Tifa’s eyes could no longer track him. Silence followed him, making the pounding of Tifa’s heart so much more noticeable, and she laid her head back and closed her eyes, breathing slowly in and out.

She needed to calm herself, to think. She was no good to anyone if she panicked.

She put the pieces together in her head, answering the questions that had hounded her since Junon. A clone of Hojo had somehow got ahold of Genesis, figured out a means to control him, and then gathered enough equipment to create clones. Then monsters. He had somehow turned Vendi to his cause, used him to betray the WRO, and taken Tifa as a lure to get his hands on Cloud.

It didn’t matter what he wanted to do with the cells. They could never let it happen.

A quiet groan caught her ears, causing her eyes to snap open and search for the source of the sound. Across from her, Genesis stirred, his face contorting into a frown and his eyes squeezing shut. She held her breath when they opened, looking so completely different from the blankness of before.

Mako blue eyes immediately fell on her, their familiar glow pinning her in place as Genesis frowned in confusion.

“Who… are you?” Genesis asked, his voice catching dryly, and he coughed to clear his throat.

“My name is Tifa,” she answered, the pieces coming together in her mind as she watched the former SOLDIER sigh and let his head fall back. The pair of clones hadn’t moved from their position at the head of Genesis’s table, and they didn’t seem to notice that he had spoken.

“That head band you were wearing… does it—”

“Control me? Turn me into little more than a mindless slave forced to obey that foul cretin’s every whim? Indeed,” Genesis spat, and Tifa fought her urge to raise her brows at his tone. Somebody had a temper.

But she could definitely sympathize with the man. She had seen how Cloud had descended into a self-loathing mess when Sephiroth had taken control of him and made him do things against his will. She couldn’t imagine what it was like for them…

“Everyone thinks you’re dead,” Tifa said softly, and his eyes reopened and focused on her once more.

“You know who I am?”

“Genesis Rhapsodos. Former SOLDIER First-Class,” Tifa replied, and his entire bearing shifted. His eyes went hooded and a sly smirk crossed his face, and Tifa could see that he was a very handsome man when he wanted to be.

“How flattering,” Genesis purred, and Tifa rolled her eyes, drawing a chuckle from the man. “Ah, perhaps I’ve lost my touch. But why are you here? And the other, what use do you have to Hojo?” Tifa glanced at the clones, hesitating, and Genesis must have anticipated the question in her eyes because he shook his head and told her, “Pay them no mind, they cannot speak.”

“I’m bait. My friend Cloud carries Jenova cells. He’ll come for me, and Hojo is going to try to kill him to get the cells,” Tifa said, feeling cold at the reminder.

“No… Hojo will not kill him,” Genesis said, the charming expression fading from his face as his eyes darkened. “He will force me to do it.”

Tifa knew that if he were anywhere near as powerful as Sephiroth had been, Cloud would be in for a difficult fight. And if the others got in the way… Her chest clenched at the thought of losing any of them.

“You are sure… that they he will come for you?” Genesis asked her, his voice tight with something she couldn’t quite identify.

“I know my friends. They’ll all come,” Tifa answered. There was no doubt. She looked at Genesis, at the way his eyes squeezed shut and despair filled his features.

“I had friends like that once… now they’re all dead,” he whispered. Tifa knew who he spoke of. She hadn’t known much about Angeal, and the fighter wasn’t foolish enough to tell him about her part in Sephiroth’s death. She wasn’t even sure if he knew that the silver general had lost his mind in Nibelheim…

“Can you fight the control? When the band is on?” she asked, grasping at any hope she could. If there was a way to battle the effects of Hojo’s sway, maybe there was a chance this didn’t have to end in bloodshed.

“Not in the slightest. Everything goes black. And when I come back to myself, I am here on this table, helpless. I don’t even remember what he’s made me do,” Genesis replied, quashing Tifa’s flicker of hope with his words. She knew how strong Cloud was, and it felt terrible to think this, but she was sure that Genesis would die if they fought.

“I am little more than a slave. And you will likely die right there on that table. I pray, for your sake, that the end comes quickly for you,” he said, opening his eyes and allowing them to fall on her again. Tifa bristled, unable to accept that she was merely a victim to fate.

“I’m not giving up,” Tifa stated firmly, her fists clenching beneath the restraints. A flicker of surprise passed through the former SOLDIER’s gaze, and he gave her a grim smile.

“You may not have much of a choice.”

His words seemed to carry through the cavern, echoing in the air and in her mind, and Tifa bit her tongue to keep from arguing with Genesis. She doubted that anything she said right now would make much of a difference. He seemed the stubborn type.

Her eyes fell back to Freeslin, laying still and possibly injured on another berth. She didn’t want to consider why Hojo had brought her back here too. If Freeslin and Vincent _had_ grown close, it would kill him to lose another woman he cared about to the mad scientist.

And she hadn’t been putting on a brave front with Genesis earlier. She knew that her friends would come for her. Cloud and the others.

Rude.

The Turks.

They would come. And walk right into Hojo’s trap.

She couldn’t just sit here. Waiting to be rescued, helpless, in need of a hero. Tifa’s days of relying on white knights were long over.

No more promises. No more heroes.

She would save herself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was anyone surprised?  
> Next chapter will return to Rude in Edge.  
> Thank you for reading, comments and critique are always appreciated.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rude and the others deal with the aftermath at headquarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Language warning for Barret and Cid.  
> Enough said.

It was strange. With all the damage done to headquarters, the meeting room was untouched. A pristine space filled with battle-weary Turks and the former members of AVALANCHE, all uniting as they sought the same goal. He could hear the noises from the clean-up crews, the low chatter of multiple radios and phones as everyone worked together to try to figure out what the hell had happened.

Tseng and Elena were in the medical wing of the WRO Hospital with Rufus, who was in critical condition. The doctor in charge had told them that their actions had saved his life, but he wasn’t out of danger yet. The sword had done extensive damage to his heart and lung. That, combined with past complications from Diamond Weapon’s attack, meant that his chances of survival were up in the air.

Rude was trying not to think about the memory of him impaled to the floor.

Reeve had been injured in the attack, taking a blade to the arm, but had managed to put a bullet in the clone’s head before it could finish him off. Thankfully, he’d had some materia on him, though the bloody mess of his sleeve was slightly distracting. Cait Sith had taken a bit too much damage between Mideel and fighting their way down the floors of HQ, so the director had deactivated him and he lay motionless on the large table in the center of the room.

The mood was mutually somber and focused. Every person in the room was feeling the effects of what had happened; both the near-fatal attack on Rufus and the kidnapping of Tifa and Freeslin. Rude had latched onto the task of searching through surveillance videos with steadfast attention, only his extensive years of Turk training allowing him to remain half-listening to everything else going on in the room.

He’d been glad for the tablet in his hands when Wallace and Highwind had breezed in, both men cursing and raging and looking for someone to blame. Reno was having a good time throwing barbs at them until Kisaragi stabbed a kunai into the table mere centimeters from his hand. The red head had gone silent with wide eyes and then joined her in looking through footage on her tablet, completely ignoring the others from that point on.

If he wasn’t so concerned, he would have found it amusing.

He was well aware that Wallace still considered anyone connected with Shinra his enemy. And he knew that it had hurt Tifa that he had turned on her when he found about their relationship. She had tried to brush it off, but Rude knew that she was just putting on a strong front. Her friends meant the world to her.

“Vincent is still following the trail of the monsters. So far, it’s still trackable. I… told him about Tifa and Dr. Freeslin…” Reeve said, rubbing at his forehead.

“Yeesh, you think that was a good idea?” Kisaragi muttered, not looking up from her tablet.

“Vincent will get it done. He’ll find out where the monsters are coming from,” Strife said from his position across the room where he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He had been brooding uselessly since Reno and Rude had shared with the others that they’d seen Sephiroth in Mideel.

“What about that fuckin’ traitor doctor?” Highwind spat, tapping harshly at his tablet.

“All we’ve got is that he studied monster mutations and mako effects. Clean record, except for what happened with Lockhart in Nibelheim,” Reno said, leaning his shoulder against the ninja’s and tapping at her screen.

“The hell are you talking about? What happened with Tifa?” Wallace demanded, slamming a meaty hand on the table hard enough to shake the surface of the entire thing.

“Vendi made a pass at her, she kicked his ass, Rude reported him, Reeve reprimanded him,” the red head listed, tossing up a finger with each item. Rude once more felt a stab of vicious pleasure at the doctor’s messy demise.

“Revenge can be a powerful motivator, but it would seem the doctor was collaborating with someone else before the occurrence,” the massive wolf-lion said, and Rude allowed himself a moment to divert his attention away from the tablet to look at Nanaki as he spoke. It was still a bit surreal to witness. “We still do not know who this person is, or what their end goal may be.”

“Fucking shit man, how many times we gotta kill that silver-haired bastard?” Highwind sighed, and Strife finally pushed away from the wall.

“Your boss know anything about this?” the swordsman asked, eyes hard as he looked between Reno and Rude.

“You mean, our boss who just about got taken out the same way as his father while he was _saving_ Lockhart?” Reno growled, ignoring the way Kisaragi rolled her eyes dramatically at the men’s mutual posturing.

“Can we just focus on finding Tifa and Freeslin please? Gawd, pull your heads out, you can fight later. We have more important things to think about right now,” the ninja groused, and Strife and Reno both ducked their heads, backing off and calming down. Rude suppressed a grin at the way the tiny woman was able to browbeat arguably the most powerful man on the planet… and the most stubborn one.

“The hell did they want in Mideel anyway? A diversion?” Wallace asked, his mechanical arm tapping its fingers anxiously on the table.

“Perhaps. The Mideel facility was home to our Planetary Studies lab. They had the last canisters of pure, concentrated mako there. If I had to make assumptions, I would guess that they came for those. It’s the only place on the planet that had them,” Reeve answered. They had developed that theory when Reno and Rude reported the missing equipment from the research levels.

“The fuck is going on,” Highwind barked, throwing up a hand as he spoke.

“Something we’d all like to know,” Reeve said, and then gave a tired sigh. “I know this is the last thing you want to hear right now, but we all need to get some rest. There’s plenty of food in the cafeteria, crews have already been through there to clean. We’ve got room in the residential levels, or you’re welcome to stay in the lounge.”

There were mixed responses, but almost all of them were hungry enough to take advantage of his offer. The left all at once, but Rude didn’t budge from his position. Reno paused in his departure, glancing down at him for a long moment.

“I’ll grab you some food,” the red head murmured.

“Appreciate it,” Rude replied quietly. And he did. Reno may be a hot head, but he understood Rude better than just about anyone. He knew that there was no way he could stop searching for Tifa right now.

Not until he found her.

*

*

*

He fought the heaviness in his eyes as he continued to swipe through the surveillance feeds for the third time, hoping to find something— _anything_ —that he may have missed before. The hyper he’d taken earlier had already worn off, and now Rude was feeling the effects of coming down from the substance on top of his previous fatigue.

But he couldn’t stop. Not with Tifa gone.

It was clear from watching the feed that the clone was focused on taking Tifa after Rufus had been disposed of. He caught its hesitation when it reached Freeslin, but it still took her, even if she hadn’t been its primary target. If they were under the control of Sephiroth, why take them? Why take Tifa?

Rude had been through hostage situations before, but they hadn’t affected them like this. Before now, it had been his job to ensure a positive outcome. That their hostage was retrieved unharmed. Now though, it was personal, and he fought hard to keep himself from losing hope. He knew the odds. Knew that the longer she was gone, the more time it took to find her, the lower her chances of—

No.

He refused to think that they’d not have more time together. That he had only had that one night with her, and never would again. Rude grit his teeth and blinked away the burning in his eyes as he swiped to a new video. He had only began watching it when the doors opened, and Rude looked up to see Strife, Wallace and Nanaki entering.

“You’re still here?” Strife asked, surprised. Rude hummed in response, watching for a moment as they moved to the shelf housing the units of tablets. Strife and Wallace both retrieved a tablet, but Nanaki continued through the room to sit at Rude’s side.

“You should get some rest,” he said, staring up at the Turk with his single, intelligent eye. Rude knew that he must have been tired, because he had the strong urge to see if the thick fur on his neck was as soft as it looked.

“…”

“He’s right. We need to be at our best. We could get a lead at any moment,” Strife added, and Rude had to take a deep breath to contain his frustration.

“I’m trying to find that lead,” he said lowly, and Wallace gave a snort.

“Man, get some fuckin’ sleep. Your ass ain’t gonna be any use to Tifa if you’re too fuckin’ tired to fight,” Wallace near shouted, and Rude completely froze as he stared at the gunman in shock. He couldn’t tell if it was anger, hatred, or concern that drove Wallace’s words.

Maybe a little bit of everything.

“Crude, but accurate,” Nanaki commented, his flame-tipped tail flicking from side to side.

“Ya fool, Tifa’d be pissed seeing you not takin’ care of yourself because of her,” Wallace continued, his brow furrowing as he spoke. The room was quiet for a long moment, and Rude’s eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he considered something.

“You weren’t in Mideel,” Rude stated, his tone neutral. He watched as Wallace’s expression flitted between fury, conflict, and then seemed to settle on shame. He had always been the easiest of AVALANCHE to read.

“She didn’t call me,” Wallace muttered, dropping his chin to his chest as he leaned against the table. It took Rude a moment to remember that, while they were on their way to Mideel, Tifa had called her friends to ask for their aid. That she was the reason the Shera had arrived and likely saved them all.

And that, apparently, Wallace wasn’t invited to the party.

“You know why,” Strife said quietly, frowning at the gunman.

“Yeah, I fuckin’ know why!” Wallace shouted, leaning forward so that he was in Strife’s face. The swordsman didn’t back down even though there was a good head’s difference between them, and Wallace quickly deflated and swiped a hand across his face. “Can’t believe she didn’t call me though. Did she think I wouldn’t help?”

“You were an ass,” Strife said flatly, and the large man just gave a tired sigh and nodded his head, looking utterly defeated. Rude couldn’t stop watching them, feeling out of place amongst his former enemies.

“I thought we were supposed to be getting some rest,” Nanaki said, nudging at Rude’s elbow as he stood and made his way back towards the entrance to the room.

“Whatever. Just put that damn tablet down before I shove it up your ass,” Wallace grunted, waving his massive hand at Rude before he spun and exited the room, Nanaki on his heels. “Everybody just go the fuck to sleep!” 

He didn’t quite know what to make of the gunman’s words. But he did click the tablet off and set it to the side.

“We’ll get her back,” Strife said determinedly, catching the Turk’s eye and giving him a nod. Rude returned the gesture as he pushed his chair back and stood. “Let’s get some sleep.”

They walked side-by-side out of the room and to the elevator, and though Rude was content to be silent in most situations, the air felt a bit awkward by Strife’s side. He knew a great deal about the man’s history with Tifa, knew that they shared a closeness he might not ever be fully comfortable with, but the swordsman’s words and actions with Rude today felt a bit like… acceptance.

Tifa had told him that Strife was happy for her when she informed him of their relationship, and now Rude believed that was true. It didn’t make them friends. But he was pretty confident that they weren’t enemies. They parted ways as Strife left the elevator a floor beneath Rude’s, and the Turk went quickly to his apartment, knowing that if he stopped moving, he’d fall asleep.

Rude did his best to keep his mind from falling into dark thoughts as he quickly showered and made his way to bed, aided in part by the way his sheets still carried the faint scent of Tifa on them. He forced his face into the pillow, inhaling deeply, and praying that the scent wouldn’t someday be just a memory.

*

*

*

It was a testament to how tired he was that it took almost seven rings of his PHS for Rude to be pulled from sleep. He nearly knocked his phone to the floor grasping at it, and he managed to glance at his clock—4:53am—before checking the caller ID. Reno. _Please, let it be good news._

“What happened?” Rude asked, already swinging his legs out of bed and reaching for his clothes.

“Hey partner, just heard from Vince. He tracked the monsters to some caverns, thinks the girls are there too,” Reno told him, speaking quickly. Rude allowed himself to feel the hope that was trying to force its way inside, allowed himself to consider that Tifa was okay, and that as soon as they could take off, he would be on his way to her.

“Where?”

“Banora.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments and critique are always appreciated.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa tries to come up with an escape plan.  
> The Shera arrives in Banora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few more answers here, and then the build up to the big battle.

As desperately as Tifa had been trying to figure out a way to get herself out of her current situation, she was at a loss. The restraints weren’t budging, she was weak from lack of sleep and food—though one of the clones had apparently been instructed to give her water—and aside from allowing her that, the mute pair wouldn’t react to her pleas. Or her demands and insults, when her temper frayed and she let herself snap at them.

Throughout it all Freeslin only made small movements, light groans, but didn’t wake. And Genesis seemed to be watching her with a mixture of amusement and pity. He was little help, and she was feeling less sympathy for the man every moment that they were stuck together. Genesis had clearly given up. But Tifa knew that she didn’t have that luxury.

Across from her, Freeslin gave a light cough and stirred, and the fighter felt almost dizzy with relief when she opened her deep blue eyes. They found Tifa immediately, and she watched the same relief sweep through her face as well.

“Tifa! Did you see him! It was fucking Hojo!” Freeslin groaned, struggling against her restraints for a moment before she huffed and gave up.

“I know… I saw him. Are you okay?” Tifa asked her.

“My face hurts… I was awake when we got here. He injected me with something… sedative, knocked me out,” the woman told her, blinking rapidly as she looked up at the ceiling of the cavern. The green glow from the crystals reflected in her eyes, giving them a haunting appearance.

“Vendi’s dead. Rufus shot him. I… I don’t know what happened to him,” Tifa told her, swallowing heavily and fighting against the burning in her eyes. There was nothing she could do about Rufus right now. “Dr. Freeslin, we need—”

“Viri.”

“What?”

“Call me Viri. I think being mutually kidnapped by a clone of the most psychotic scientist to ever exist means we can use each other’s first names,” she said, a ghost of a smile growing on her face as she spoke. Tifa chuckled, more out of habit than any humor. She didn’t really feel like laughing at the moment.

“Alright… alright. We need to figure out an escape plan. I’ve seen what Hojo can do, I won’t sit here and wait for that to happen,” Tifa said firmly, and she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Genesis watching them, something strange in his blue gaze. Tifa ignored him. He hadn’t been any help thus far, she doubted it would change.

Viri stared at her, her brow furrowing, and then nodded slowly.

“We can’t get out of the restraints on our own. These are meant to hold SOLDIERS. But there’s an exposed circuit on the inside designed to track vitals. We’re not as big as SOLDIERS, might be able to get at it with something,” Viri offered, and Tifa exhaled lowly, glad that the doctor was willing to help her.

“Okay… okay… I need to find my equipment—”

“In the unit to my left. I saw one of the clones putting them in there when we first got here,” she said. Tifa froze and stared at the blonde. Even though they were out of reach for the moment, knowing that her gear was here and safe lifted an enormous weight from her shoulders.

“I’m so sorry for saying this, but I’m glad you’re here,” Tifa said, and Viri barked out a laugh, wincing as her bruised skin stretched at the action.

“Yeah, well, I’m glad I’m not stuck down here alone either,” Viri replied. Genesis gave an affronted scoff, and Tifa rolled her eyes.

“You don’t get to be offended, you’re not helping,” the fighter told him, and his mako eyes blazed with indignation. She held his gaze, raising a brow in challenge. After a moment of consideration his expression fell, and Genesis sighed dramatically.

“I don’t see the point. I’ve tried everything. Hojo can control me completely with that damned head band, and the only time I’m out of these restraints is when I am wearing it,” the former SOLDIER said, his voice tight with annoyance. “Even if you were to escape your bindings, the clones would take you down before you could get out of this chamber.”

“The clones are bonded to Hojo. They take their orders from him. What happens of Hojo is dead?” Viri asked, gazing at Genesis with a calculating gleam in her eyes.

“Without their master, they will become feral. Erratic, enraged, but utterly stupid,” Genesis spat, and Tifa wondered if he were so touchy because the clones were versions of him. But this input was more than he had contributed thus far, and she wasn’t about to say anything that would chase him back into his self-pitying shell.

“How long have you been down here?” Viri questioned.

“I do not recall. I was still weakened from my slumber when I was captured beneath Midgar. The bastard gassed me, and when I woke, I was here,” Genesis replied.

“Ah, I see you’re all getting along. Good, good.”

Tifa mentally cringed at the sound of Hojo’s voice, hoping that he had not been listening in on their conversation for too long. He moved quickly to Genesis’s table, tapping away at his tablet as he went.

“Professor… what do you want with us?” Viri asked, and it didn’t escape Tifa’s notice how she had paled considerably at the other scientist’s appearance. She recalled the blonde telling her that she had studied most of Shinra’s scientists, and she likely knew even better than Tifa what this man was capable of.

“I will need capable assistance during the procedure when I have what I require. You are competent enough,” Hojo said dismissively, waving one hand at Viri while he continued preparing whatever it was that he was working on.

“I won’t help you,” the blonde said quietly, and Tifa wished she would just be silent. It never paid to poke at men like Hojo.

“Of course you will. You will do anything I require. If you do not, it will be your companion who will pay,” Hojo told her, looking up at Viri with a frightening smile splitting his face. The blonde froze, her eyes growing wet, and dropped her chin without another word. Hojo gave a loud cackle before turning away from her and placing the head bands on himself and Genesis.

“It is time, Specimen G,” the scientist said, and Genesis turned his head towards Hojo, his lips pulled back in a hate-filled grimace.

“I hope he kills me. And then you,” the former SOLDIER growled, and then his face went blank and the light faded from his eyes. Tifa felt her stomach drop at the sight, knowing that this would most likely be the last time that she ever saw Genesis.

Hojo made quick work of the restraints, and Genesis slipped smoothly off of the berth before moving to retrieve his sword. He twirled the blade expertly and Tifa couldn’t help but jump when his massive black wing burst forth from his back.

“Bring me the head of Specimen C. Kill all who stand in your way,” Hojo ordered, and Genesis immediately sprang upward, his powerful wing beating and pulling him into the air and through the hole in the ceiling of the cavern. Hojo left without another word to them, one of the clones following, and Tifa and Viri sat in silence for a painfully long time before the fighter finally found her voice.

“Viri… how do I get out?”

“Your bracers have metal fibers woven in them, right?” Tifa nodded. “If you can get a fiber free, you can insert in into the open coils on the inside of the restraint. It’ll shock you, but it’ll open too.”

The fighter took a moment to get one last good look around at their surroundings, at the unit where Viri had told her that her gear was stashed, and at the single clone standing motionless across the space. She knew that if this happened to work, things would happen fast. She hoped that Viri would at least be able to keep herself safe.

“Okay…” Tifa muttered, twisting her wrist around in the restraint, attempting to rub against the seam where she figured the material was at its weakest. “If I can get this to work, you need to be ready. Watch my back, tell me if other clones come in. Understand?”

“Yeah… yeah, I understand,” Viri replied, and Tifa nodded, hardening her resolve as she continued to rub her bracer against the unyielding metal.

Gods, she hoped this worked.

*

*

*

Because of the Shera’s unmatched speed, they had all agreed to travel to Banora together. When Cloud had asked about the place, Reno had told him that Genesis had lost his mind and killed his family there, and that it had been completely destroyed. Cloud was smart enough not to ask if it had been Genesis who had wiped the town out, or Shinra covering up their mess.

He knew which one was more likely, and it wasn’t the time to pick a fight. Not when Tifa was depending on them.

Vincent had reported that the entrance to the caverns beneath Banora were swarming with monsters and clones, and that he believed that Sephiroth was within. The gunman was sticking to the outskirts of the destroyed town, picking off stray monsters while he awaited the arrival of the others.

Reeve had managed to repair Cait enough to be able to travel with them, though he wouldn’t be any use in a fight. Strictly surveillance. Rude had come up with a loose plan for them when they took off, splitting the group into three different parts with different objectives.

Cloud, Barret and Cid would be the lead group, charging for the caverns and drawing the inhabitants out where they could fight them more effectively. Yuffie, Nanaki and Vincent would run support, attacking with ranged weapons and magic.

The third group would be Reno, Rude and Cait, who would infiltrate the caverns via a secret entrance through an old mine that the Turks had knowledge of. Their objective was to find and rescue Tifa and Freeslin, and to get the pair back up to the Shera.

Cloud had wanted to be the one who went to help Tifa, but he also knew that Sephiroth would cut the others down without hesitation unless he and the silver-haired general were busy fighting each other. Taking Tifa had been a challenge. For _him_. Cloud would kill him as many times as it took.

“Banora’s coming up! Get your asses in gear,” Cid called, leaving the helm to his pilot and grabbing his spear. Cloud nodded and led the way down to the open deck. It was crowded, but he welcomed the others at his back.

“Everyone knows their jobs?” Cloud checked. Nods and affirmations were sent his way, and the former SOLDIER turned to look over at Reno and Rude. Cait sat on Reno’s shoulder, and the red head looked only slightly annoyed at having him there. Rude though, was gripping the railing tightly, his jaw clenched as he looked out to where Banora would soon appear.

Cloud didn’t really understand the relationship between Rude and Tifa. To him, the man was just… boring. He knew that he was a good fighter, and that Rude had had a crush on her during their hunt for Sephiroth. He didn’t know what else they had in common that would make them a good pair. But Cloud had also seen how unhappy Tifa had been back in Edge. She had hidden it well, but he knew. He was pretty sure he had been partially to blame for it as well.

Tifa had been different though, when they’d last spoken in Corel. Brighter, more confident. And the way she had smiled when she talked about the Turk had stabbed at something deep inside him. Something that made him think of soft hands and the scent of flowers. If it was Rude that had made her feel that way—the way that he had with _her_ —then Cloud would do whatever it took to make sure they were together again.

The swordsman moved forward to stand next to Rude as the island came into view, and the Turk tilted his head slightly to look at him.

“Find her. Get her back,” Cloud said, speaking just loud enough to be heard over the sound of the wind rushing past them. Rude shifted, pushing away from the railing and standing straight before giving Cloud a single nod and then moving to his partner.

“We’ll get close enough to jump down, then the Shera will head outta range. Let’s give it to these bastards,” Cid shouted, and Cloud took a deep breath as he drew his sword. The barren space where the town of Banora had once been was now visible, and the Shera passed it by as it slowed, sinking lower and lower until they reached the mountainside.

“Holy shit!” Yuffie exclaimed, and Cloud silently echoed her sentiment. The area near where the entrance to the caverns lay was crawling with monsters. He could pick out a few clones scattered in the horde, but they were mostly those dark skinned, humanoid creatures. Dozens of them.

“This will be a challenge,” Nanaki growled.

“Watch out for each other. Keep moving, and don’t let them swarm you,” Cloud instructed, and then the Shera dropped, causing his stomach to lurch as they tilted.

“Oh my gawd! Get me off!”

Cloud leapt from the deck, falling into a roll and immediately sprinting towards the nearest monster. It fell quickly to his blade, and he wasted little time searching for his next target. He hoped that if they made enough of a disturbance, Sephiroth would emerge and engage him. The quicker this was over the better.

He could hear Yuffie’s whooping and the rat-tat-tat of Barret’s gun arm, but he could only focus on driving his sword through the next monster’s chest. Cloud fell into his battle-rhythm, using materia sparingly in an effort to conserve the majority of his strength for his true enemy.

They were doing well, cutting through the monsters and advancing towards the entrance to the caverns. He saw a fast-moving flash of red more than once. Vincent had joined them, then. If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Cloud may have even enjoyed the battle.

And then fire began to rain from the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cloud vs Genesis in the next chapter!  
> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments and critique are always appreciated.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud faces off against Genesis, and Tifa makes her move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character death ahead...

When the fireballs began dropping down around them, Cloud knew that Sephiroth was finally here. All eyes were trained to the skies in search of the winged enemy, and the battle devolved into a mad scramble to avoid the hungry flames. The swordsman rolled to one side to avoid an attack, the flames from the fireball licking at his skin, and managed to right himself just in time to catch the blade of a clone.

He had underestimated the strength of his opponent and was hurled backwards, his arms aching with the sheer force the clone had exerted to knock him away. Cloud grunted as his feet scraped against the dirt, dust billowing out around him as he slowed his momentum by driving his sword into the ground. A flash of red filled his vision, and Cloud barely had enough time to brace himself as a bright crimson blade arced through the air.

He whirled his sword around his head, diverting the momentum of the blow aimed for his neck before countering with a powerful attack. The clone managed to block him, and as it leapt back a massive black wing unfurled, so large that Cloud stumbled back away from it in shock.

What the hell?

With the distance between them he was finally able to see that it was no ordinary clone he was fighting. Flashes of memory flew through his mind, bringing sharp stabs of pain as he recalled the Crimson Commander, passing him by through the halls of Shinra, standing shoulder to shoulder with—

Cloud was yanked from his memories as the red blade—Rapier—stabbed towards him again, and he parried the attack before launching a sequence of his own. He was able to get a good look at his opponent, and although his hair was much longer, Cloud was certain that he was engaging with the true Genesis Rhapsodos.

He didn’t miss the shiny silver band across his forehead or the dead look in his eyes, and Cloud couldn’t help but wonder if this was the figure that the others had seen in Mideel. He hoped that they had just been mistaken, and that this was the man they had believed was the silver general. Because if Sephiroth _and_ Genesis were back, he didn’t stand a chance.

None of them did.

“Where’s Tifa?” Cloud demanded. Genesis didn’t seem to hear him, or didn’t care, because his face remained eerily blank as he swung again and again, his wing whipping forward in an attempt to knock Cloud off his feet.

They continued to cross blades, pushing each other across the battlefield while his friends ensured that their fight wasn’t interrupted by monsters or other clones. Genesis was strong, and very, _very_ fast, but Cloud was confident that he would be able to win.

He felt much less confident a moment later, when Rapier suddenly caught fire.

*

*

*

She had been prepared for the pain, but when the electric shock ran through her body, racing up her wrists and filling her veins with liquid fire, Tifa couldn’t stop the scream that ripped out of her. Still aware enough to feel the restraints snap open, the fighter hurled herself sideways just as a sword whipped through the air, connecting with the empty metal table with a resounding ‘clang.’

Tifa landed heavily on the hard stone floor, gritting her teeth against the pain that shot through her hip and elbow. She rolled desperately, knowing that the clone was hot on her heels, and then threw herself sideways, narrowly avoiding the stabbing lunge aimed towards her. She gripped the nearest monitor and tore it from its platform, spinning around to toss it at the clone.

The unexpected attack knocked the clone off-balance, and Tifa took advantage by leaping up and wrapping her thighs around its head. She threw herself to the side, twisting her body and squeezing her legs together with all of her might, and the clone’s neck snapped beneath her, the sickening sound echoing through the cavern.

Tifa managed to land in a crouch over the clone as it slumped dead to the floor, and took a moment to control the adrenaline surging through her body. Her muscles cramped and twitched from the electric shock she’d received, but Tifa shook it off. She’d had worse. Knowing that she needed to get them out as quickly as possible, Tifa pushed herself to her feet and hurried over to Viri.

“Can I just say, and this is coming from a totally straight woman, that that was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” Viri said breathlessly as Tifa arrived at her side and quickly flicked through the release mechanism on the side of the berth, running through the sequence as the blonde had explained to her.

“Yes!” Tifa hissed as the restraints snapped open, and she wasted no time hurrying over to the storage unit and yanking open drawers until she found what she was looking for.

Her Premium Hearts and the glimmering Wizard’s Bangle.

She quickly slipped on her gloves, nearly shaking with relief at the feel of them on her hands again. Tifa snapped her bangle on her wrist and then healed herself and Viri with a low-level cure, knowing that she needed to refrain from exerting herself at the moment. Who knew what still stood in their path.

“What now?” Viri asked, and Tifa shook out her arms as she looked around.

“Do you remember which way you came in?” she asked, and Viri shook her head no. “Okay… okay, it looks like there’s another way out through there,” Tifa told her, pointing to the back of the caverns. “You can take it, try to get out.”

“What about you?” Viri asked, her brow furrowing.

“I’m going after Hojo. He’s trying to kill Cloud… controlling Genesis, and who knows what he’ll do if he gets Jenova’s cells. I have to try to stop him,” Tifa said, her heart beating faster at the thought of facing Hojo and his clones alone.

“If he gets what he wants, it might not matter if I make it out today. I’m sticking with you,” Viri proclaimed, marching over to the unit where Tifa had retrieved her gear and sifting through the drawers before she pulled out a small black handgun.

“You know how to use that?” Tifa asked, taking in the way that the blonde examined the piece curiously.

“I’m a quick learner,” Viri replied with a shrug.

“I hope so. You sure about this?”

“Yeah…”

“Okay. Don’t shoot unless something gets past me, and make sure I’m not in the line of fire,” Tifa warned, and the blonde gave her a nod, a determined expression on her face. “Let’s go.”

The fighter took the lead and moved stealthily through the cavern in the direction that Hojo and the second clone had headed to. She knew that she wasn’t at her best. Too long without food, without movement, in an unfamiliar place and with a friend who didn’t have any experience in combat. That knowledge didn’t slow her down. She would do whatever it took to stop Hojo.

Tifa followed the thick bundle of cables, doing her best to keep her footfalls silent as they travelled. She could hear something ahead, like static, and then froze at the sound of a voice.

“…too slow, Specimen S would have accomplished his task by now… my memories do not recall Specimen C being so capable… curious to see what his corpse will reveal…”

Her stomach dropped at Hojo’s words. Cloud and Genesis were fighting, right now, and Hojo was somehow watching. Tifa grit her teeth and continued on, clenching her fists at her sides as she rounded the corner of the tunnel they had been traveling along and peered at what lay beyond.

Another cavern stretched out before her, and at its center Hojo stood with his arms behind his back, watching several monitors. He was flanked by three clones, all standing motionless with their swords held loosely at their sides. Tifa could barely make out the images on monitors; they were filled with bright orange flares of light, but then she caught sight of Barret, back-to-back with Cid as they battled monsters together.

Her friends…

Tifa turned to look at Viri, placing a finger in front of her lips. The blonde nodded her head, holding her gun up and ready, and Tifa held up three fingers.

Three. Two.

One.

Tifa whirled around the corner, calling upon her materia and unleashing her most powerful thundaga in Hojo’s direction. One of the clones leapt in front of the professor, taking the brunt of the attack as streams of lightning blasted into it and the computers beyond. Sparks flew as the equipment overloaded, the monitors exploding and shattering into the air.

She felt the drain immediately, almost stumbling as her skin went cold and her head throbbed, but Tifa pushed through it, focusing on her form as she rushed towards the center of the cavern. The clone who had taken the main hit was down, smoke rising from its unmoving form, but the other two were hissing and grunting in pain as they moved to engage her.

The fighter kicked out at the first clone’s sword hand, breaking the fingers and causing it to drop its weapon. Before the sword hit the ground she was already dodging the strike from the second clone, using her momentum from her spin to transfer power into a punch that struck it beneath its chin and lifted it off of its feet.

She felt its neck snap, and then saw a white lab coat shift at the edge of her vision, moving away from the wreckage of the smoking computers.

“Viri! Stop him!” Tifa cried, blocking wild swings from the remaining clone. The sound of gunshots reverberated through the cavern, one after the other, until Tifa heard the repeated click of an empty weapon. She gripped the clone behind the head, leaping up and yanking its face down while simultaneously driving her knee up.

Its face caved in with the power of her attack, and Tifa ignored the throbbing in her leg as she spun to see what had happened with Hojo.

Apparently, emptying an entire clip meant that Viri was bound to get at least a little lucky, and there was a deep red stain growing on the shoulder of Hojo’s lab coat. He was groaning and struggling to pull himself away from them, and Tifa felt her rage and loathing for the man bubbling up inside her. Viri stood near the entrance to the tunnel, shaking slightly with the gun hanging at her side, and Tifa knew that she’d need a moment to get herself together.

The fighter advanced towards Hojo, quickly kicking him onto his side and dropping a knee to his chest. He hissed in pain and clawed at her, but Tifa easily grasped his forearm and wrenched the limb to the side before yanking the silver band off of his head.

“No! You’ll ruin everything!” Hojo screeched, his glasses askew as he struggled against her hold. Tifa knew that if this man ever managed to escape from here, he would do everything he could to continue the work of his original self. And that even if he were to be placed in custody, there would be those like Dr. Vendi who would try to take over where he had left off.

She couldn’t let that happen. Cloud, Vincent, Genesis… no one deserved to be at this man’s mercy.

“Stupid girl! Release me! I will—”

Tifa swiftly pressed her knee to his cheek and gripped his arm with both hands before wrenching his body upward at the same moment that she drove her leg towards the ground. His words cut off as his neck snapped and the scientist went limp, and it took every ounce of willpower she had to keep her stomach from spilling.

Horror filled her at what she’d just done.

She drew in a choking breath as she turned away from Hojo, from the man that she had just murdered. Tifa had killed in battle, fighting for her life or to protect others, but she had never taken a life like this. She didn’t regret it. But she knew that she would carry this moment with her for the rest of her life.

“Tifa…”

She looked over her shoulder at Viri, who was watching her with a careful sort of sympathy that made her throat feel tight. Tifa shook her head and stood, looking away from Hojo’s body and pushing everything down. Her friends were still out there fighting the monsters, and who knew what had happened with Genesis and the clones. She could break later.

“I’m okay. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hojo deserved worse, but Tifa wouldn't draw it out.  
> There's probably 5-10 chapters left, and plenty of action to go!  
> Thank you for reading, comments and critique are always appreciated!


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Genesis's battle comes to an end, and Rude searches for Tifa.

It didn’t take him long to discover that fighting Genesis was _extremely_ different than fighting Sephiroth. Aside from the flaming sword that sent sparks into his face each time they crossed blades, Genesis liked to hurl master-level firagas at him. Constantly.

He had learned how Sephiroth moved, but this was an entirely new dance. Cloud was pretty sure he wasn’t losing, but he definitely wasn’t winning either. Parts of his pants and a section of his back had been burnt, and each time he moved he felt his nerves screaming in protest. He’d managed to drive his hilt into Genesis’s face, and had dealt him a blow to his wing that had rendered the appendage unusable.

He was still fast enough without it.

Cloud squinted against the bright flames of Genesis’s blade as it swiped at him once more, and then had to call up a wall as the man hurled yet another firaga at him. His magic held, the brightness of the spell causing him to squint his eyes as he only suffered a fraction of the power the firaga held. He suddenly felt his barrier break a moment before an intense pressure smashed into his ribs.

He gritted his teeth to stop his scream as Genesis’s sword penetrated his torso, but Cloud managed to grasp at the blade before it pierced too deeply and throw himself away from the man. The sword slashed through his glove, cutting deep into his palm and then cauterizing the wound immediately with its liquid flame. Red bloomed beneath the material of his tunic, and he quickly shook off the flames growing over his shirt and on his hand before he applied pressure to the wound.

Dammit, he was sick of getting stabbed.

He fell back into a stance as Genesis advanced, and then watched in shock as the man suddenly stumbled gracelessly, a flicker of emotion crossing over his features so fast that Cloud wasn’t positive he’d seen it at all. He paid for that shock a moment later, when Genesis lunged forward, blade outstretched.

Cloud managed to shift in time to keep the blade from hitting anything vital, and brought his sword up in a last-ditch attempt to stop Genesis. The tip of Rapier slid into his shoulder, stopping only when it hit bone, as Genesis impaled nearly his entire left side on Cloud’s sword.

They hung there, motionless, caught by each other’s blades and unable to disengage. He could hear the shouts of his friends, their cries of concern, but the damage was done. Cloud bared his teeth, fighting the way his vision blurred around the edges, and felt fear creep down his spine as the green materia in Rapier’s hilt suddenly glowed.

Another firaga.

Genesis was too close to him. Cloud would never be able to shield himself from the man’s overpowered magic in time.

He knew what was coming, but as flames filled Genesis’s palm, threatening to devour him in another of the man’s epically powerful magical attacks, his mako blue eyes suddenly rolled back into his head and the man collapsed.

As he fell Rapier went with him, ripping itself out of Cloud’s shoulder as his own blade slipped from his grasp, still caught in the former commander’s body. Cloud stumbled, his vision swimming, and pulled at his restorative materia. Drained and in pain, the spell fizzled out before it could take effect, and Cloud fell to his knees before slumping to his side.

He tried again, baring his teeth against the pain, but his body was beginning to feel warm and heavy, and his eyes slid shut without his permission. Darkness pulled at him, his pain beginning to ebb, and Cloud found his thoughts shifting to Tifa.

_Please be alright…_

“Don’t worry, she’s okay.”

His eyes snapped open, white flooding his awareness. He turned his head, expecting to see the smoking corpses of monsters and his fallen opponent, but there was nothing. He could feel something solid beneath his feet, but everywhere he looked he saw white.

He knew this place.

_Aerith?_

“We’ve gotta stop meeting like this.”

The scent of flowers had him shuddering as he voice whispered in his ear, but when he spun around there was no one there. He felt her though, around him, inside him, and the warmth she brought made him wish he could stay here with her.

“It’s not time, Cloud. They still need you.”

“Genesis needs your help too, buddy. Don’t be too hard on him, none of this was his fault,” a painfully familiar voice sounded, and Cloud looked up to see an unmistakable silhouette emerging from the white. Tall, lean, with unruly spiked hair and the massive weapon of a SOLDIER on his back.

“Zack?” Cloud choked, emotions rising in him that he’d long kept within. He could feel his friend’s amusement, even though he couldn’t make out his features. And then images flew into his mind; brilliant green eyes and a mischievous smirk, and he shook his head to dispel them.

Zack’s form turned and his heart clenched at the sight of the woman Cloud had fallen in love with. Aerith, with her hair swinging behind her and her dress swirling around her ankles. Like Zack, he couldn’t make out her features, but he knew she was smiling.

He tried to speak, but no words would come.

He missed them both _so much_. It was a wound that would never heal. Cloud had lived with his regrets for so long, wishing things had been different. For all of them. But it was a small comfort that they were together again, here in the Lifestream. He wished he could be with them…

Could he?

“It’s not time yet, Cloud,” Aerith said.

“I don’t understand,” Cloud breathed.

“Everything is going to be okay,” Aerith assured him, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

“Tifa… I need to help Tifa,” he told them, trying to move closer. His feet wouldn’t move, and their forms were growing hazier. Cloud began to panic. He didn’t want to leave yet…

“Don’t worry about Tifa,” Aerith said, her voice sounding very far away.

“Just rest up, buddy. You did a good job,” Zack’s words echoed in his mind as the whiteness grew, and a faint roar sounded in his ears as Cloud drifted away.

_Don’t leave me…_

  
*

*

*

  
Rude had been suppressing his panic as best he could when they arrived in the make-shift lab near the center of the caverns. He, Reno and Cait had managed to squeeze through a forgotten mining vent to infiltrate the caverns, and had moved through the tunnels unchallenged. It wasn’t until they had reached the largest of the open caverns that they discovered signs of occupancy.

Unmistakable scientific equipment was clustered together, with several empty mako tanks and medical berths. Cait quickly hopped off of Reno's shoulder to begin investigating, moving to a small monitor and attempting to boot it up. The bodies of two clones lay in the midst of the equipment, and Rude immediately recognized that they had not died from a sword or gun.

Tifa.

“Looks like the ladies are saving themselves,” Reno observed, and Rude gave a grunt in response. He felt only a small amount of relief knowing that she had gotten free. He needed to see that she was okay for himself. And he desperately hoped that they’d broken out before anything could be done to them. He knew what kind of horrors could occur with these types of equipment.

"You should keep looking, I'll catch up!" Cait told them, tapping away on the keyboard to the flickering monitor.

“Come on,” Rude said, taking point and heading towards the tunnel on the far side of the cavern. They moved quickly, their footfalls silent as they advanced, and then Rude froze as the distinctive sound of gunshots echoed through the tunnels. It was the answering roar of a monster than snapped him into action.

Rude sprinted through the tunnel, his adrenaline surging with the promise of the coming fight, and kicked off the wall of the nearest turn that took them to another cavern. Decades of training allowed him to asses the area and situation in a matter of seconds.

This cavern was slightly smaller than the last, with a smoking pile of electronic rubble in the center. Several bodies of monsters and clones littered the ground, and he caught sight of Freeslin’s slight frame huddled behind a crystalline stalagmite. She had a handgun held at her side and a panicked expression on her face as a monster stalked towards her.

Rude took in a separate movement in the corner of his eye as he rushed towards Freeslin, Reno at his side, and slowed his steps, trusting his partner to read his intentions and aid the doctor without him. His attention had been caught by a clone and a monster scrambling at the head of a separate tunnel, and had he possessed less training and discipline, he would have frozen at the sight of the woman fighting against them. 

In between sprinting steps he took in her fierce expression as she drove her fist into the monster’s ribs, the fluid way she moved when she fought that had always captivated him. Just seeing her again, _alive_ , was enough to make him feel unstoppable.

He drove his steel-toed boot into the side of the monster’s knee, crippling it and causing the creature to scream in rage and pain. Trusting Tifa to take advantage of the monster’s weakened state, Rude shifted his attention to the clone. It had been disarmed, but he knew that their strength was still formidable, and Rude danced around it, drawing it towards him and away from Tifa.

The clone swiped at him, fingers contorted into claws, and Rude deftly deflected the attack. He followed through with a rapid combo, ending with a powerful strike to the clone’s face with the palm of his hand. It staggered back, blood bubbling from its broken nose, and he wasted no time driving his foot into its gut. The clone collapsed downward, and before Rude could deliver the finishing blow, Tifa appeared behind it, clasped its head between her hands, and snapped its neck with a furious grunt.

As the clone slumped to the ground their eyes met and he felt frozen, unable to react. 

_Tifa._

Her face was smudged with dirt and blood, there were shadows under her eyes, and her lip was split. She was still in her ruined, burnt clothing from Mideel. But to him, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He was a moment away from reaching for her—he needed to _feel_ her—when he caught sight of movement just over her shoulder.

He _did_ reach out then, grasping Tifa’s forearm and pulling her to the side as a monster lunged at the space where she’d been a moment before. Trusting him, Tifa didn’t resist. The fighter used the momentum he’d granted her to roll away while Rude leaned backwards, narrowly avoiding the monster’s deadly claws as it lost its footing and crashed heavily to the ground.

A second monster followed, lightning-fast, leaping over the first and hurtling towards Reno and Freeslin with a vicious snarl. The red head was helping Freeslin to her feet, his back turned, and Rude shouted his name a moment too late.

Reno managed to shove Freeslin back as the monster pounced, its head tilting to the side and jaws snapping down across his ribs and hips.

The snarl of the first monster brought him back to himself, and Rude narrowly dodged a swipe of talons as he turned his attention back to the threat. He backpedaled rapidly as the monster advanced, gritting his teeth as he heard his partner cry out.

Dammit.

 _Reno_.

“I’ve got him!” Tifa called, and Rude felt a wave of gratitude towards her. He could now fully focus on his opponent.

The monster had him at a disadvantage, forcing him to retreat away from the barrage of attacks it was throwing his way. Unable to set his feet, Rude was forced to resort to means other than his fists. He pulled at his materia, casting a fira at the monster at the same moment it opened its gaping maw to bite at him.

It choked on the flames, hunching in on itself as it began to writhe and screech, and he wasted no time leaping up and bringing both fists down on its skull. Bones crunched beneath his blow, dropping the monster instantly, dead before it hit the ground.

Rude shook out his hands—that hit hadn’t been light—and looked over to see Reno sticking his mag-rod in the monster’s eye while Tifa cast a blade of ice into the side of its body. The monster wailed as it was tossed away from them, twitching from the combined attacks, until it finally gave a rasping cough and went limp.

Tifa swiftly reached out for Reno, the green glow of a healing spell spreading across his torso. His jacket had been shredded where the monster’s teeth had dug into him, and Rude could see the material beneath stained a dark crimson. The red head gave a sigh of relief, tossing Tifa a bright smile as the fighter laid a hand on his shoulder.

His shoulders slumped in relief as he looked at the two people he cared about most alive and safe, and Rude took a step towards them. Tifa tilted her head as his movement drew her eye, a smile growing on her face as she looked at him.

And then her eyes widened, her smile vanishing, and—

Rude felt his breath being forcefully expelled from his lungs as fire erupted in his chest, jerking his body forward. He couldn’t breathe, there was liquid in his throat, choking him, and Rude looked down to see a blade emerging from his chest. Through the agonizing pain spreading across his body, Rude had a second of clinical clarity. The sword had punctured his lung, and appeared to have passed directly through his heart.

A fatal wound. 

He hadn’t heard the clone.

But as his vision went dark, he did hear Tifa’s broken scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you didn't need your feelings...


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picking up right where the last one left off...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold onto your butts...

She had seen the unmistakable gleam of the blade a moment before the clone had lunged, and Tifa knew that she would be unable to stop it. Paralyzed, she had watched the sword burst through Rude’s chest, blood arcing out to splatter across the stone in front of him. She heard his bones break and flesh split, and had screamed as her body was overcoming with sensation and power, filling her with strength beyond her normal limits.

For a fraction of a second her mind was overcome with memories of her best friend, _her sister_ , being run through in the same exact manner as the man she loved. She had been just as helpless to stop it then as she was now.

 _Gods no, not again_ …

She was hardly aware that she was moving, the stalactites rushing by her in a blur as she hurtled towards Rude and the clone that held him up by its sword. It flung its blade to the side at her approach, and she _burned_ at the way his body slid off the weapon and rolled limply away. Tifa forgot all of her training as she bore down on the clone, fear and rage and _pain_ blinding her as she drew back her fist and lunged.

She paid for her undisciplined surge when the clone’s blade plunged down at her, but Tifa was moving faster than she ever had before, and the attack missed. Instead of taking her through the chest as it had planned, the sword cut deeply into her outer thigh.

Tifa barely noticed.

Her punch was so fast, so powerful, that she could see the distorted air flowing around her fist.

It connected with the clone’s jaw, caving in muscle and bone as if it had been hit with a sledgehammer, and the clone was dead before its body slammed into the stone wall behind it. She wasted no time scrambling towards Rude’s prone form, her stomach lurching at the sight of _so much blood_ pooling on the stone beneath him.

“Shit… shit…”

Reno skidded to a halt at his partner’s side moments before Tifa, his face pale and eyes wide with shock as he reached out with shaking hands to roll Rude onto his back. His glasses had been lost when the clone had tossed him aside, and a thick stream of blood trickled out one corner of his mouth. She fell to her knees at his side, uncaring of the way the cold stone bit into her skin through her pants, and his eyes fluttered weakly for a moment, but they didn’t open.

“Come on partner,” Reno growled, casting a cura on him. Before the warm green glow had been absorbed into his body Tifa was already casting her strongest curaga, her breath catching in her throat as the magic seemed to dissipate around Rude’s body rather than soak inside of it.

Tifa and Reno froze, watching Rude with wide eyes as they fought against the shock threatening to overcome them. Pain brought her back to herself, her leg throbbing where the clone had stabbed her, and Tifa shook her head to clear it as she reached out to touch Rude’s face.

“Rude? Rude! Open your eyes, look at me!” Tifa demanded, her voice breaking when she realized that his chest wasn’t moving.

No.

No, no, no, _no, no!_

Reno reached out and grabbed at Rude’s shirt and jacket, ripping them open to expose the gaping gory wound, unhealed, to their eyes. There was so much blood, and Tifa felt herself beginning to slip into a frantic sort of panic.

She placed her hand over the wound, pressing down and trying to ignore the feeling of Rude’s warm blood flowing between her fingers as she cast another curaga. It had the same effect as before, the magic answering her call and flowing around him, but failing to absorb into his body.

“Lockhart…” she barely registered Reno’s choked word, her vision tunneling until all she saw was the gaping wound that was trying to take away the man she loved. A sob threatened to tear out of her when she realized that his heart wasn’t beating anymore.

“No… no, no, Rude…” Tifa’s voice broke on his name, and she knew that her restore materia would be no use anymore. 

A moment later she cursed herself.

Tifa whispered, “ _please, please, please_ ,” to herself as she focused on her revive materia, casting the strongest life spell that she could. It pulled on her already drained magic reserves, causing her vision to blur and her body to list dangerously to the side as a golden haze covered Rude. She felt a staggering amount of relief when the spell actually sank into him, flowing around the wound site.

She waited, not breathing, her entire body trembling from fear, fatigue and hope as the golden glow slowly disappeared. It felt like time had frozen as Reno and Tifa watched Rude, waiting for movement, a breath, any sign that the revive spell had done its work.

There was nothing.

She couldn’t stop the pained, high noise that left her as she reached out trembling finger to search for a pulse, somehow knowing that it was pointless. There was no pulse.

“Don’t you dare,” she choked out, tears filling her eyes. “Don’t you dare leave me, come back!”

“Lockhart… Tifa. Tifa, he’s…” Reno said haltingly, and she felt him reach out and grip at her forearm. Rage and denial flowed through her—she wasn’t giving up on him, ever—and Tifa shook off his hand before casting life again. Her chest seized as the magic tore through her, draining her strength so much that she had to support herself on her hands as she slumped forward over Rude.

“Please… please…” Tifa whispered, looking over his body as the glow faded.

No change.

Something inside her broke at the thought of never seeing him again. At not holding him, being held by him. Of trying to move on after what grown between them, even in such a short time.

No.

She wouldn’t give up yet, she still had some strength yet.

 _Aerith_ … she thought, picturing her friend in her mind, praying that she could hear her from the Lifestream. _Please. Please… I can’t lose him_ …

Tifa could hear Reno saying something beside her, but his words were lost as she desperately cast again. This time it _hurt_ , her head splitting with pain and a cry wrenching itself from her throat that had nothing to do with her grief. She realized she was crying, her body draped over Rude’s as the glow disappeared around him.

She felt cold and heavy, dragged down by the feelings of failure and sorrow from knowing that she couldn’t save him. Rude would die because she hadn’t been fast enough, strong enough. He’d come here for her… it was all her fault.

_Please Aerith… help me… I love him…_

Tifa gathered all the remaining strength she had, pulling from her restore and revive materia, joining them with a cry as she cast with everything left in her.

For a brief moment she felt a comforting warmth on her cheek. The scent of flowers and earth filled her nose, and Tifa heard a heartbreakingly familiar voice in her head as she lost consciousness.

_“Everything’s gonna be okay.”_

  
*

*

*

  
Reno could count on one hand the number of times he’d been truly afraid. There had been plenty of times he’d been freaked out, or panicked, or shocked. But seeing his partner go down and not get up in the Banoran caverns was right up at the top of the list of Things That Scared Him Shitless.

His work as a Turk meant getting bloody, getting hurt, but when he saw the wound, the red staining the stone in a wide crimson smear, he had known that Rude wasn’t getting back up.

Rufus had been lucky; the sword had been left in, limiting the blood loss, and they’d gotten to him relatively quickly, all things considered.

Rude hadn’t been lucky.

At least, in terms of his injury.

Watching Lockhart crying over his body had torn at something inside Reno. Something he couldn’t really name or describe, but he knew that witnessing her grief over the loss of his partner had changed something in him. He hadn’t even realized he had been crying too until Freeslin’s sniffs had brought him back to himself.

When she’d pushed him away, Reno had been forced to watch as Tifa tried over and over again to bring Rude back, failing each time. When she’d finally collapsed on top of him, blood streaming from her nose, Freeslin had pushed past him to go to her. After rolling Tifa to the side, unconscious and paler than was normal, the doctor had made a startling discovery.

Rude’s wound was closed. He was breathing.

She’d done it.

Everything after that had been a blur. Even finding Professor _fucking_ Hojo’s body amidst the monster corpses didn’t garner much of his attention. He’d cast a cura on Tifa, healing the laceration on her leg, and then Cait had come barreling through the tunnel, yelling that it was Genesis Rhapsodos who they had seen in Mideel.

They were unable to call out on his radio due to interference from the caverns, but Cait had hurried out and called for the others. Valentine had come immediately, and Reno had pretended to ignore the way that he fussed over Freeslin, his hands fluttering over her face as his eyes scanned her for injuries. If they weren’t together soon, he’d eat his shoe.

And then Yuffie had come, and Reno had needed to restrain himself from grabbing her and checking her over in the same manner as the gunman. She’d had blood smeared across her face and over the top of one thigh, and though she must have used restorative materia, he could see where monster claws had caught the sides of her shorts and leggings.

Between the four of them, they’d managed to haul Rude and Lockhart’s unconscious forms out of the caverns to be picked up by the Shera. Apparently, Strife and Genesis had just about killed each other, and were both in the infirmary, the latter guarded closely by Wallace and his impressive arm-cannon. Cait had told everyone that Genesis had been controlled by Hojo—which was confirmed by Freeslin—but it didn’t look like the dark-skinned man cared.

That had been almost two days ago.

Reno had been splitting his time between Rufus’s medical suite and the room that Tseng had set up for Lockhart and Rude. They weren’t in any danger, but Freeslin had instructed that they were to remain undisturbed until they woke on their own. The red head hadn’t minded sitting in their room, hogging the couch while he recovered from his own injury.

Restore materia could heal wounds, but it didn’t replenish lost blood, so he’d stayed off his feet. It was probably the first time he’d ever listened when a doctor had told him to do something.

The door opened suddenly, and though Reno’s laid-back posture didn’t change, he was instantly alert. It shifted into a different kind of alertness when he saw Yuffie’s head pop out from behind the door, huge brown eyes locking onto him as she grinned broadly.

“Heya dickhead.”

“Hey princess.”

The ninja slipped into the room, closing the door silently and moving to Lockhart’s side. She shot Reno a sly grin before nosing through the clipboard on the side of her friend’s bed, flicking through pages as she chewed her lip. He didn’t try to disguise his stare as he watched her, taking in the way that her toe tapped almost impatiently as she snooped and pausing on the sliver of pale skin peeking out from between her deep blue vest and tan shorts.

It had been such a subtle shift that he’d almost missed it. Their messages going from insulting and teasing, to curious and flirty. Reno, despite his reputation (formed by his shameless flirting and well-placed false gossip) of being a player, didn’t just jump into anyone’s bed. And he knew that, no matter how hot she was, Yuffie wasn’t the kind of woman you spent a meaningless night with.

And he didn’t want to.

Because after all of their messages and interactions, Reno had developed… _feelings_ for the ninja.

Now… what to do about it?

Yuffie huffed and tossed the clipboard back down on the shelf before reaching over and brushing a lock of hair behind her friend’s ear.

“She always does this. Works so hard to take care of everybody else…” her voice trailed off, but Reno heard what she wasn’t saying. Lockhart tended to neglect herself in exchange for helping others. He’d seen that firsthand more than once.

“Kinda who she is, princess,” Reno said, swinging his legs around and pushing himself up off the couch. Yuffie was still frowning down at Lockhart, her arms crossed over her chest. He knew how she felt. He didn’t think he’d fully relax until Rude woke up too.

Reno moved to her side, close enough that he was nearly looking down at the top of her head. Sometimes he forgot how tiny she was…

“She’ll be okay,” the red head assured Yuffie, and the ninja gave an exasperated sigh as she shifted her head to look up at him.

“I guess,” Yuffie exhaled, and Reno could recognize her attempt at nonchalance as a reflex to protect herself. He did it too. Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand, pulling it away from where she’d had it wrapped around her ribs. Her breath caught but she didn’t pull away, and Reno couldn’t bring himself to regret it.

They’d flirted with each other, sure, but they’d never actually touched.

The few times they’d been around each other since Costa del Sol he’d recognized the chemistry between them, and he knew that she had too. There was no sense in hiding from it. Reno was a lot of things, but he’d never been a coward.

“I’ll drive you crazy,” Yuffie breathed, and Reno watched as her eyes darkened, pupils expanding as a flush grew on her face.

“You already do princess,” Reno replied, leaning closer, making her tip her head back to maintain eye contact.

“I hate smoking.”

“I quit.”

“We’re never gonna—”

Reno shut her up by slanting his mouth down on hers, taking advantage of her open mouth by sweeping in with his tongue. He knew he’d surprised her by the way she stiffened, but when she didn’t pull back he took another risk and brought both hands up to tangle his fingers in her silky hair.

A few seconds were all Yuffie allowed at being a passive participant.

She gave a high moan into his mouth as she clamped her hands down on his shoulders and hopped off the ground, expertly wrapping her legs around his waist and clinging to him. Reno grunted at the shift in balance but easily compensated, pulling her into him and deepening the kiss. Yuffie clawed at his back, gripping him with her thighs in a way that made the red head feel light headed as his blood flowed south.

One hand traveled down to palm her ass through her shorts, and Yuffie rewarded him with a sharp nip to his lip, making Reno groan. He _knew_ they’d be good together, but this was—

“Get a room.”

They froze, his lip still between her teeth and his fingers digging into the firm flesh of her rear. He slowly turned his head, their mouths coming apart with a soft ‘pop,’ to see Rude’s hazel-eyed gaze. His partner was sitting up in his bed with his hands resting in his lap as he stared at them with a single raised brow.

Yuffie slowly—torturously, Reno thought—unwrapped her legs from around his waist and slid down to stand, brushing her clothes casually as she stepped to the side to lean a hip against Tifa’s bed.

“Good morning sunshine. Have a nice nap?” the ninja asked, and though her tone was casual, Reno could detect the sight tremor in her legs.

 _Nice_.

“Tifa?” Rude asked, his brow dropping as he looked behind them towards the other occupied bed.

“Still out. She’s fine, just depleted her magic saving your ass,” Reno explained, doing his best to keep his voice level as he recalled just how fucking close they had come to losing him. Rude grunted as he pushed himself up farther, and Reno swiftly pulled a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and handed them to his partner.

He could see the relief in his eyes before they were covered again, and Reno hid a grin. There would be plenty of time for teasing after he’d gotten his partner all caught up.

“What happened?” Rude asked, seeing the familiar duffle laying on the chair next to his bed and reaching for it.

“Hope you’re ready for this, partner. So, _motherfucking Hojo_ …”

Reno proceeded to walk Rude through all that they’d learned as the bald Turk pulled the curtain around his bed to guard himself from Yuffie’s curious eyes while he changed from his scrubs into his standard suit. He wasn’t the jealous type— Rude was a good-looking man—but he filed that away to tease her with later.

“So… I was dead?” Rude asked as Reno finished filling him in, pulling the curtain back as he adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves. If Reno hadn’t known him better, he would never have been able to tell that his partner had been out of commission for two days.

“Dead. Gone. Magic wasn’t working. She just kept fucking going though. Freeslin thinks she dual-casted that last time, which is what just about put her in a coma,” Reno confirmed, his eyes following Rude as his partner leaned over Lockhart’s bed to examine her. Lockhart was still fairly pale, but Freeslin had done a good job cleaning her up and making her comfortable.

“She’ll be fine, man. We’ve just gotta wait for her to wake up on her own,” Reno told him, but Rude didn’t respond.

“…You’re gonna stare at her like a creeper til she wakes up, aren’t you?” Yuffie chirped, grinning at him.

Rude didn’t reply, but Reno caught the light blush growing on his cheeks.

Damn, he was glad Lockhart was so stubborn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psh, like I'd let Rude die.  
> Thank you for reading.  
> Comments and critique are always appreciated!


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa wakes up, and Rude contemplates the shift in dynamics between the former members of AVALANCHE and Shinra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All kinds of happy from here on out.

She dreamed of Aerith.

Of fond memories in their tent beneath the stars, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder at the Cosmo Candle, shopping together in the warm streets of Costa. Aerith’s soft hand in hers while they walked across the grassy plains, chatting and laughing, and Tifa wished so badly that she weren’t dreaming.

Something shifted and she tried to hold on, gripping her friend’s hand as that same something pulled at her, the vibrant colors of her dream fading. But Aerith just smiled at her, that knowing smile with eyes that saw more than the fighter ever had, and let go.

Tifa woke suddenly, gasping and squinting against the light, and felt herself panic until strong hands took her shoulders and a low voice called to her.

“Tifa, it’s okay. You’re okay.”

Her vision sharpened on the dark figure before her, the image growing clearer and clearer until she realized who was holding her. Her sight blurred again as tears filled her eyes, her heart clenching as she reached up to grasp at his forearms.

“Rude?”

He pulled his glasses off and set them aside, looking down at her with bright hazel eyes that made her breath hitch. She tugged at him, almost desperately, barely believing that he was standing over her and she wasn’t actually dreaming anymore. Rude didn’t resist, leaning in and kissing her gently. But Tifa had thought she’d lost him, and she pressed up harder, her hands shaking as they gripped at the back of his neck.

Rude sighed into her mouth, allowing her to cling to him for a long moment before he gently took her by the shoulders again and put some space between them. She swallowed heavily as she stared at him, at the unblemished suit he wore, and then carefully rested her hand over his chest where he’d been stabbed.

“You’re okay…” she said shakily, and he gave her a nod. “You were gone… your heart stopped beating. Materia wasn’t working, I couldn’t—”

“Tifa,” Rude interrupted her, and she squeezed her eyes shut to fight the tears growing again. “I’m okay. I’m here, with you.” His words only reminded her once more of how close she had been to losing him, and Tifa hiccupped softly as she nodded her head. Rude cupped her cheek as he shifted to sit on the side of her bed, pulling her forward so he could cradle her against his chest.

She pressed her head to him, closing her eyes as the sound of his strong heart beat pulsed in her ear. Tifa let the sound calm her, relaxing into his embrace as she finally allowed herself to accept that he was really okay. She breathed him in; hints of his cologne, the fabric detergent on his suit, and the familiar scent of his skin. It took a moment, but Tifa was finally able to think clearly again as her body calmed.

“Rufus… did he…?” Tifa asked, her eyes still closed. She was almost afraid to know. Rude was running his thumb along her cheekbone, his chin pressed to the top of her head as she felt him sigh.

“A clone stabbed him before it took you and Freeslin. He’s alive. Still in critical condition. He’s getting better everyday though,” Rude answered, his voice low and soft. Her eyes burned again at his words, and she was grateful that Rufus had survived as well.

“Viri and Reno? And Cloud?” Tifa asked, her mind beginning to spin as she thought of everyone who had come. Rude calmed her once more, running his fingers through her hair as he told her everything that had happened from the moment that Reno had landed the chopper on the top of the WRO headquarters, to waking up in the hospital after Banora.

When he had finished Tifa became aware of the needs of her body—particularly the bathroom and her stomach screaming at her for some food—and managed to pull herself away from Rude long enough to take care of herself. She changed into a set of clothes that Yuffie had brought and left for her, and by the time that she had reentered the room, Rude had a small plate of breakfast food waiting for her.

“So,” Tifa said, reaching for a plain toasted bagel, “what happens now?”

Rude helped himself to some of the grapes on her plate as he looked her over from behind his glasses, making sure that she was alright. She knew how he felt. Her eyes kept straying back down to his chest, her mind imagining that she could still see that place where he had been run through.

“Reeve is giving all of us time off. Vacation days. As many as we want,” Rude answered, and Tifa gave him a raised brow.

“Even with everything that happened? What about making sure that there are no more clones? And cleaning up Mideel, and figuring out what to do with Genesis, and—”

“Tifa,” Rude interrupted, smiling amusedly at her as her face flushed. “I’m not taking off right this minute. We’ve got our hand full for a while, but Reeve specifically told me to make sure you were alright before we make plans moving forward.” She smiled at him from behind the rim of her glass, still trying her best to relax. She had a list in her head, but she could take this time to eat and enjoy being with him.

“Okay… well… when things have settled, where do you want to go? For your vacation days?” she asked, biting her lip as she peered up at him. Rude sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck, considering for a moment before he answered.

“Wutai. Cosmo. Costa. Don’t really care, as long as you’re with me,” he told her, and Tifa had to duck her head as she felt her cheeks grow hot. She had really been hoping he’d felt that way. All of this had started with Tifa’s desire to get away—a travelling vacation—but she sensed that what he had in mind would be vastly different. And there was so much to be done before they would be able to go away together, but…

She couldn’t wait.

“I love you…” Tifa said softly, purposely, making sure that he understood that she truly meant the words. He smiled at her, warm and open in a way that made her heart skip a beat.

“I love you too,” Rude replied, tipping her chin up to kiss her.

There was so much to do and take care of, but for now, Tifa couldn’t be more thankful about the way that things had turned out.

  
*

*

*

  
Rude didn’t think he’d ever seen the executive lounge so busy. In the four days since Tifa had woken, they had been working nonstop to organize relief efforts and clean up crews to take care of the disaster wrought by the Hojo clone. Thankfully, the computer that Cait had managed to salvage had served as a sort of journal for the mad scientist, and Valentine had swiftly dispatched teams to the other locations that he had used for his laboratory work.

Rufus had been released from the critical care wing and was recovering in his own suite. Elena was with him at the moment, but Tseng stood beside Reeve at the head of the room, discussing their next steps as far as what areas of the WRO needed the most damage control and recovery. The former president had informed them that he would fund everything. Another step is his mission to repay the planet and its people for what Shinra had done.

Perhaps the oddest occupant of the room was Genesis Rhapsodos, who stood against the wall at the far end of the room. He had cut his hair in a similar style to what he had worn before his… degradation. The crimson longcoat was a throwback as well, but his aloof frown was a different expression than Rude recalled him ever wearing. There was very little remaining of the man’s formerly arrogant air that he had been famous for.

Genesis had vowed to serve the WRO, claiming that it was the ‘will of the goddess’ that he should right the wrongs of his past with Gaia’s current heroes. Rude thought he was full of shit, but he could tell that Genesis believed the words he was saying. It had been Strife that had convinced Reeve and the others to give him a chance—one chance—and they had worked out a trail-program where Genesis would train with Valentine until the gunman gave his approval.

He wasn’t unaware of the way that Genesis watched Tifa as the fighter flowed through the room, embracing her friends and speaking with them warmly. After what had happened with Vendi, it made him uncomfortable to see another man look at her that way. And it seemed he wasn’t the only one.

Wallace suddenly moved from his position next to Strife and Highwind to stand before Genesis, turning around so that the former SOLDIER was hidden behind his massive frame. Rude suppressed a smile. The big gunman made an excellent wall.

A bright, happy laugh drew his attention to Tifa and Nanaki, who were seated on the couch on the other side of the room, chatting amiably. She had Cait in her lap, the cat curled up and seemingly asleep. Behind them, Valentine leaned against the wall and listed as Freeslin explained something excitedly, a smile in his eyes as he watched her hands moving along with her words.

And then there was Reno and Kisaragi. That had been surprising to wake up to. They were utterly shameless about their new relationship, always holding hands or leaning on each other. And though Rude was happy for them, he was also looking forward to getting away with Tifa for some peace and quiet. Individually, he had no problem with their antics. But together, they were a loud, chaotic force of nature.

He looked at her again, his eyes always seemed to seek her out, watching as she toyed with a feathered braid while the feline-like being spoke to her. She absently stroked Cait’s back as she listened to Nanaki, pausing when Tseng stepped to towards them to speak with her. Tifa rose, still holding Cait, and followed the long-haired Turk over to Reeve, where they all spoke in quiet tones.

Rude surveyed the room once more, taking in the way that all of these former enemies had come together to become allies. Even friends. And—he considered, watching Reno and Kisaragi, and Tifa—more than friends.

The WRO still had a great deal of work to do, but Rude was more than okay with letting someone else take care of it. After everything that had happened, all he wanted to do was relax with the woman he loved, far away from anything else that may try to lay claim to his time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will probably go to 40 chapters, so we're almost there!  
> Thank you for reading!


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tifa catches up with Rufus.

Saying goodbye to most of her friends had been a bit of a whirlwind for Tifa. Vincent, Viri, Genesis, Yuffie and Reno were flying out to Banora to make sure that they had cleared everything of import from the caverns. Cid had taken Cloud and Barret on the Shera, but not before Tifa had been gathered up in a surprisingly warm hug by her dark-skinned friend.

“Glad you’re okay. I’ll call you, alright Teef?” he’d said, and after blinking away her shock Tifa had given him a brilliant smile and light punch on the arm before sending him on his way. She knew that they still had things to figure out, but he had made her hopeful that the hurdles they still had to overcome wouldn’t be as difficult as she had believed.

Elena had taken Nanaki on a patrol around headquarters, showing him what the WRO was doing to help the people of Edge and the planet. He had expressed an interest in aiding the WRO in cleaning up after the mess that the Hojo clone had created. Nanaki had planned to stick around for a while, and Tifa was happy for him. He enjoyed being around new people, and she was glad that he was able to look past what the former Shinra employees had done to give them the chance at friendship.

It seemed that all of them had forged new connections with each other, and Tifa hoped that they’d all be the better for it.

With Rude busy meeting with Reeve, Tifa took it upon herself to go and visit Rufus. He’d been on her mind quite often since she had woken in the hospital, and now that she had a stretch of free time, she knew exactly where to go. Tseng allowed her into the former president’s suite with a slight bow, and she was pleased to be able to see the warmth in his eyes that he usually reserved for Elena or the other Turks when they weren’t looking.

Rufus’s suite was almost an exact opposite of Rude’s, but most definitely fit with the blonde’s taste. White marble and silver suede, with chrome accents and plush carpets that made Tifa want to take off her boots to keep from marring the pristine surface. She didn’t, but the thought was there.

Tifa turned out of the entrance and found Rufus in a luxurious recliner, a faint smile on his face when he saw her.

“Hey,” Tifa greeted, moving through the room and standing beside him. She could see the tiredness in his shadowed eyes, and his skin was nearly as pale as the white robes he wore, but he was alive. And according to all the doctors, he would fully recover in time.

Tough son of a bitch.

“Miss Lockhart,” Rufus said warmly, raising his hand and indicating towards the chair next to his. “We’ve both had quite the month, haven’t we?” Tifa huffed as she sat, perching herself on the edge of the seat so she could lean closer to him.

“I’ve had worse,” Tifa said, giving him a smile to ensure he understood that she was at peace with what had happened in the past.

“Hm, as have I. Though I must admit, I quite wish there were less swordsmen on the planet. Stabbings are so… uncivilized,” Rufus said, grimacing as he shifted slightly. His words reminded her of how he had been wounded, and she couldn’t help but think that if he hadn’t been distracted taking care of her, then perhaps he would have been able to fight off the clone.

“I… I don’t know what Vendi would’ve done if you hadn’t stopped him, but—"

“Miss Lockhart,” Rufus interrupted, his brow drawn as he looked at her, and the fighter took a deep breath to steady herself.

“It’s Tifa,” she emphasized her name, catching his eye. Rufus exhaled slowly, his eyes tracking across her face before he gave her a small nod.

“Tifa.”

It sounded strange, her name from his lips, but she didn’t mind it.

“Thank you,” she said softly, and a long moment of silence passed between them. It was comfortable.

“You are welcome.”

She felt as though something had shifted in the way that she felt about him. Rufus was… complicated. He’d done terrible things, not only to her personally, but the planet as well. And now, he’d nearly lost his life trying to protect her, and was doing everything he could to redeem himself. To make amends. Tifa knew that he still had a dark side, most people did, but she chose to see him now as a friend.

She didn’t know exactly what that would look like, she wasn’t sure how to be his friend, but she was willing to give it a chance.

“Rude has requested a month of vacation time. Reno as well. It seems I’m losing my Turks,” Rufus finally said, giving Tifa a small smirk.

“I doubt it,” she replied with a huff of laughter. “I don’t think either one of them would know what to do with themselves without this job.”

“Things have changed,” he said, and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small silver object. He toyed with it for a moment before setting it on the table connected to his chair. Tifa narrowed her eyes at it for a moment before she realized that it was a bullet.

It was _the_ bullet that Elena had pulled from her back after the assassination attempt in Junon.

“You kept it?” she said softly, frowning at him in confusion. Rufus chuckled as he nodded, leaning forward slightly as he caught her gaze.

“A reminder.”

“Of what?”

“The kind of person you make me want to be,” Rufus answered, and Tifa was shocked by his words. Before she could consider what he meant, Rufus chuckled again and held up a hand. “I learned very young that forming connections was dangerous. It has taken me a long time to be able to… trust people. When you can buy loyalty, it loses its meaning.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Bodyguards and Turks would have taken a bullet for me because I payed them to do so. When you saved my life, you were neither fond of me nor in my employ. You saved me, not because of who I am, but because of who _you_ are,” he continued, his icy blue eyes locked onto hers. “I have never known anyone like you.”

Tifa was stunned, and she felt a blush growing on her cheeks as she considered his words. She had no idea that he thought of her that way, and just as she was wondering if she would have to set boundaries with him, Rufus sighed deeply and let his head fall back against his chair.

“When I was younger, exiled in Junon by my father, I had someone I cared about. I never told him how I felt. I thought it was… weak to admit such things,” he told her, and Tifa wasn’t overly surprised that Rufus’s preferences leaned towards the opposite sex. He was a bit of a queen.

“What happened?” she asked.

“My father found out about us. Couldn’t risk our relationship tarnishing the family name. He had him killed. I… I never told him that I loved him. And then he was gone,” Rufus confessed, and Tifa fought against the urge to take his hand. She didn’t think he would react well to her tactile brand of comfort.

“I’m sorry Rufus,” she said instead, and he gave her a humorless smile.

“Lesson learned,” he murmured, and then looked at her once more. “Do you love him?”

“Yes,” she replied immediately.

“Does he know?” Rufus pressed, and Tifa felt a smile growing as she recalled the first time that they’d spoken the words to each other. And every time since. She had no doubt that Rude understood what he meant to her.

“He does.”

Rufus scanned he face searchingly for a moment before he smiled, the expression carrying a hint of warmth that she’d rarely seen from him. He nodded his head and relaxed into his chair once more, and this time neither of them felt the need to fill the silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda thinking of doing a little Rufus/Genesis teaser one-shot...  
> What do you think?  
> Thank you for reading! Comments and critique are always appreciated.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rude and Tifa finally get some time to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty much just smut.  
> Enjoy.

For the first time in well over a week, Rude found himself finally able to relax. He’d formally put in his vacation request—immediately and enthusiastically approved by Rufus and Reeve—and he and Tifa had decided on Wutai as their first stop. They’d been allowed use of one of the company choppers for transport, and thanks to Kisaragi, the Emperor himself was allowing them to use one of the private houses while they stayed.

He was officially off the clock for the next thirty days. And he knew exactly how he wanted to spend each one of them.

Rude was putting away the dishes from their dinner as he half-listened to Tifa talking on the phone in his bedroom. The kids had been diligent about calling her every night, more than a little worried when Wallace had departed Corel to join them in their search for her and Freeslin. He didn’t mind sharing her time with them. Rude knew how much those kids meant to Tifa.

She’d been excited when he’d told her how long he would have for his vacation, and Rude had been beyond grateful that she wanted to spend every day with him as well. Tifa had also hinted that she wouldn’t mind taking a side position similar to Nanaki in aiding the WRO. A part of him hoped she was serious, because that would mean that after his vacation was over, he’d still be able to see her fairly regularly.

After everything that had happened, Rude knew that he’d never take any time spent at her side for granted.

It suddenly caught his attention that his apartment was quiet; that he couldn’t hear Tifa speaking anymore, and he peered down the hallway to see his door ajar. He couldn’t see her, and knowing that Tifa liked to pace while she was on the phone, wondered what she was doing.

Rude dried his hands on the towel and moved out of the kitchen, curious as to what she was up to. He pushed open the door to his bedroom and froze, his mouth going dry at the unexpected sight in front of him.

Tifa stood in the doorway to his bathroom, her back to him, wearing only a set of lacy black underwear. Her bra hung from her fingertips, and she dropped it casually as she looked at him over her shoulder. He was having difficulty breathing, his eyes traveling up her long, lean legs to her firm ass, and then up the curves of her back. When she twisted slightly, he caught a tantalizing peek of the side of her breast, and had to remind himself to blink when his eyes began to burn.

“I couldn’t help but notice how big your shower is. Definitely room for two,” Tifa said softly, biting her lip as her thumbs slipped beneath the bands of her underwear. Rude swallowed heavily as he watched her begin pulling them down, and then Tifa smoothly stepped forward with a grin and entered the bathroom, disappearing from his sight.

He snapped back into awareness, recognizing her invitation, and was thankful that he’d already dressed down to his shirt and pants earlier. Rude swiftly stripped naked, nearly tripping over his pants as he shuffled after her into the bathroom just as the water in the shower turned on. His shower had a wrap-around entrance, and Rude felt himself harden further at the sight of her lacy underwear laying on the tiled floor.

They’d been so busy working and making arrangements, both taking care of their respective responsibilities, that there hadn’t been any time for intimacy. But he was on vacation now, and Rude couldn’t think of a better way to kick it off.

His heart was pounding in excitement as he entered the shower, stepping around the corner and pausing when he saw her. Tifa was standing under the spray, steam billowing around her as she stood with her back to him once more. Rude wasted little time moving to her, his hands falling to her waist and stroking the smooth skin there almost reverently.

Tifa hummed and stepped back into him, one arm reaching up to she could grip the back of his neck while the other grabbed his forearm, drawing his hand up until he cupped her breast. Rude pressed himself against her, inhaling sharply at the way his erection slid between her cheeks as he began massaging her breast. He brought down his head, kissing the wet skin of her neck as Tifa arched against him with a little moan.

He dropped his other hand down between her legs, expertly circling her clit as he began to thrust against her ass. Tifa’s breath hitched when he dipped a finger inside her, her nails digging into the skin at the back of his neck as she writhed in his arms. Rude treasured this moment, being with her, loving her, after fearing at one point that he would never have her again.

“Rude…” she moaned, turning so that she could kiss him. His finger slipped out of her and he abandoned her breast as she spun in his arms, and their mouths came together in a passionate kiss, tongues dancing and teasing. Rude guided her backwards, behind the spray of water until her back hit the wall, enjoying the drag of her hard nipples against his chest as his hands slipped down to caress her hips.

“Please… I want you inside me again,” Tifa whispered into his mouth, and Rude groaned as he dropped down to grip the backs of her thighs and lift her off her feet. Tifa gasped and gripped his shoulders, and Rude took a moment to align himself, thankful that she was light enough to not be a burden in this position.

He pressed into her torturously slowly, watching as his cock disappeared into the wet warmth of her, and when he was within her fully he allowed himself to pause and _memorize_ the sensation of being inside the woman he loved. There was no condom between them this time, and Rude made sure to remind himself of that over and over as he considered just how incredible she felt around him. Tifa’s forehead was pressed to his shoulder, the water streaming over them, and Rude hissed when he felt her squeeze down on him and roll her hips.

Alright then.

He moved his hips against hers, taking her slowly, sensually, and Tifa moaned into his skin. He held this pace for a long time, until his body began to burn, and then she pulled back to look at him with hooded eyes and a small smile.

“Rude… I won’t break…” she said, just loud enough to be heard over the spray of the shower. He grinned at her and paused, adjusting his grip beneath her thighs before thrusting sharply into her. Tifa moaned, her mouth falling open and her eyes darkening as she watched him. Rude continued, picking up the pace and thrusting into rapidly, enjoying the way her breasts bounced with each movement. 

He was close, and he could tell that she wasn’t, but with the way she felt around him, Rude couldn’t stop. He was cognizant enough to pull out of her before his orgasm hit, the strength of it threatening to make his knees buckle as he groaned into Tifa’s neck as pleasure washed over him. Rude chuckled softly as he gently set Tifa back onto her feet, kissing her languidly as he regained control over his body.

“Let me take care of you now,” Rude said, his voice rough and low. Tifa grinned and nodded, reaching behind her to turn off the shower. She danced around him and he followed, both of them toweling off quickly and then Tifa gave a high laugh and sprinted out of the bathroom into the bedroom. Rude chuckled at her, tossing his towel aside and following to see her pulling back the covers and spreading herself out on his silky sheets.

“Fuck,” Rude breathed, taking in the sight of her laid out for him, and he strode forward, his eyes locked on his target. Tifa bit her lip to hide her grin, her arms moving up over her head to hold onto his headboard as Rude kneeled on the edge of the bed. He reached for her, intending to caress her legs all the way up to her center, but Tifa spoke before he could begin.

“Stop,” she said, her voice firm, and Rude’s eyes snapped back up to her, taking in the way she was watching him intently. Something about her tone caught his attention, and her grin morphed into a sly smirk. “I want your mouth on me. Nothing else,” she instructed, and Rude felt shudder pass through him when he realized what she was doing.

His eyes never left hers as he slid slowly between her legs, making sure to leave his hands far enough from her that they wouldn’t touch anything. He had his orders. Rude smoothly dropped his mouth to her, inhaling her scent as his tongue explored her folds. Tifa groaned, her hips rolling against his face, and Rude fought against the urge to grip and her thighs and open her to him.

He was enthusiastic in his attack, alternating between circling her clit with his tongue, flicking at it, and then sucking harshly. Rude could hear her breathing picking up, her moans near constant as he worked, and he groaned against when she reached down to grip at the back of his head.

“Use your hand. Just one…” Tifa gasped, and he quickly complied. She was slick, and he easily penetrated her with two fingers, twisting and thrusting them in time with his mouth. Tifa’s head fell back as she cried out, clamping down on his fingers as she came. She was stunning; her damp hair around her face, breasts heaving and her long legs wrapped around his head.

He was hard again.

Aware that she hadn’t instructed him to stop, he continued gently kissing at her, stroking leisurely as she came down from her high with a deep exhale. She hummed as her eyes fluttered open and fell on him, a slow smile growing on her face.

“Come here,” Tifa requested softly, and he pulled himself up and moved to lay by her side. Her eyes dropped down, widening slightly when she caught sight of his renewed erection, and then Tifa licked her lips and rolled them. Rude chuckled as she playfully gripped his hands and pinned him, her eyes trailing down his body appreciatively.

“What can I do for you?” Rude asked, and Tifa slowly moved his hands up towards the headboard. Understanding her intentions, Rude gripped the metal tightly, grinning when Tifa hurriedly scrambled over to the nightstand and tore open the drawer, searching for a condom.

She let out a sound of triumph when she found one, quickly ripping it open and moving back over him. Rude hissed in pleasure when she gripped his cock rolled the condom onto him before she rose up onto her knees to hover over him. He groaned as Tifa slowly lowered herself onto him, her breath catching when he was seated fully within her.

Tifa began to move immediately, rolling her hips against him, and Rude focused on watching the alluring way that she rode him. She had placed his hands where she wanted them, and he wouldn’t move, but he was nearly shaking with his desire to touch her. He’d fantasized about her like this for _so long,_ and Rude knew that every second he was with her was a dream come true.

“Rude…” she breathed, falling forward and bracing herself with her arms on either side of his head. The change in angle allowed her to grind her clit against him with every thrust, and Rude could tell by the way her breath hitched and her moans grew ragged that she was almost there.

“Rude… touch me, move me, I’m close,” Tifa panted, and his hands snapped down to grip her hips, dragging her harshly against him. Her cries peaked as she arched against him, pressing her breasts into his chest while she clenched around his cock. Rude grit his teeth against the pleasurable pressure, his fingers digging into her firm flesh as she orgasmed.

He ran his hands along the smooth skin of her back as she relaxed against him, still breathing hard into the skin of his neck. Rude kissed the top of her head, enjoying the feeling of being so close to her with nothing between them, before Tifa gave a pleased sigh and pushed herself up to look at him.

“Did you…” she asked, biting her lip. He shook his head and Tifa leaned down. He thought she would kiss him, but Tifa slowly dragged her lips across his cheek to move to his ear. “What can I do for you?”

Desire flowed through him at her repeating of his words, and Rude chuckled as he gently lifted her off of him and sat up. She watched him with those captivating claret eyes, and he slowly moved behind her, guiding Tifa to her hands and knees.

“Oh…” she breathed, looked at him over her shoulder.

“This okay?” Rude asked, caressing her lower back and hips.

“Yes. I… I wanted to try this,” Tifa said, still watching him with hooded eyes, and Rude felt his arousal spike once more, beyond turned on that she had thought of him taking her like this. He grasped his cock with one hand and moved forward, pressing into her with a sharp inhale.

“Oh, fuck,” Rude hissed as Tifa backed into him, pushing him fully into her. He gripped her hips and began moving, clenching his teeth at the tightness around him. He loved that she wasn’t a passive participant; pushing backwards every time he thrust so that his hips slapped into her. Rude trusted her to tell him if it was too much, so he didn’t hesitate to put more force into his movements.

“Tifa,” Rude groaned, feeling the telltale tightening down low that indicated he wasn’t far from his orgasm.

“Oh, Rude… ah! Feels so good!” Tifa moaned, and that was the last push he needed to send him over the edge. His head dropped back as a ragged groan tore from his throat, his orgasm blinding in its intensity. He gasped as the sensation faded, causing him to bow over her back, holding her tightly to him.

When he had sufficiently recovered, he dropped a few kisses to Tifa’s back as he pulled out of her, excusing himself to quickly dispose of the condom. He hurried back, pulling the sheets over them as he drew her to his chest. Tifa sighed happily as she rested her arm across his waist, and Rude gently began running his fingers through her hair, untangling the still-damp strands.

“I love you,” Rude murmured to her, returning the smile she gave him when she glanced up at his face.

“I love you too, Rude,” Tifa whispered, and he held her tighter, inhaling against her hair as she twined a leg with his. He was pleasantly exhausted, and he had a thought that they’d definitely both be improving their stamina together in the coming weeks.

This was already the best vacation he’d ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They both deserve that happy ending. One more chapter to go!  
> Thank you for reading!  
> Comments and critique are always welcome!


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tifa and Rude start their vacation off in Wutai.  
> Fluffy-fluff.

The view from the top of the Da-Chao statues was even more stunning that Tifa remembered. It was mid-morning and the weather was perfect for trekking through the mountains. The hike hadn’t taken them long, and as Tifa wrapped an arm around Rude’s waist and leaned into his side, she couldn’t help but appreciate that he’d arranged all of this for them in a matter of hours.

They’d been in Wutai for three days now, and it had taken the arrival of Reno and Yuffie to drag them out of their bed and back into the world. As much as she enjoyed making love with him, it was kind of nice to get out for some fresh air. Rude had suggested the hike, and although Yuffie had griped that it was nothing special, the ninja had eventually agreed to join them.

Tifa could hear the other couple on the trail below them, and she peered over the edge to see the two arguing animatedly as they trudged up the path.

“You can’t _blame_ me!” Yuffie protested, hands flying up as she spoke. Tifa watched as Reno’s mouth dropped open and he leaned away from her.

“Are you kidding? You _pick-pocketed_ me!”

“Whatever. We were enemies. Came with the territory,” Yuffie replied nonchalantly, crossing her arms over her chest and raising her chin in defiance. Tifa bit her lip as she watched them, dropping her head to rest against Rude’s shoulder when he wrapped an arm around her.

“That was my favorite watch!” Reno whined, and Tifa distinctly remembered the ninja showing off the piece in question in their tent one night. She was positive Yuffie still had it stashed somewhere.

“Ugh, don’t be such a baby. Tifa totally stole Rude’s Ziedrich on the Gelnika, and you don’t hear him crying about it!” Yuffie retorted, and Tifa froze. 

She… had kind of forgotten about that. 

Rude tilted his head slightly, and Tifa could feel his stare, but she kept her eyes resolutely forward, trying to come up with something to say.

“Wait, what? Lockhart mugged him? Really?” Reno asked, his earlier exasperation vanishing as amusement flitted across his features. Yuffie laughed loudly, her head tossed back as she clapped her hands.

“Oh yeah. Pretty sure she still has it somewhere. Cait and I teased her about it, you should’ve seen how freaking red her face got!” the ninja cackled, and Tifa was pretty sure her face was just as red now as it had been then.

The other couple turned at a twist in the trail and their voices faded until all Tifa could hear was the chirping of birds and her own rapid heartbeat. Rude cleared his throat and she did her best to school her features into neutrality as she tilted her chin towards the landscape below them.

“Quite the view, huh?” she squeaked, risking a glance at him. A single brow rose dangerously slowly, his expression unreadable from behind his sunglasses. She offered him an apologetic smile and shrugged.

“You… really didn’t notice that I grabbed it?” Tifa asked him, and Rude frowned.

“Hmm… didn’t know it was missing until later. Thought I just lost it in the fight. Did you steal it when—”

“When I grabbed your wrist and threw you over my shoulders after you nailed Cloud in the face? Yeah…” she admitted sheepishly, drawing a chuckle from him.

“Am I going to get it back?” he asked, and she could detect the teasing note in his voice. It brought out her playful side, and Tifa gave him a smirk as she shrugged again.

“Nope. I stole it fair and square,” she stated, chin up and eyes narrowed. There was a flicker of surprise on his face, and Tifa grinned as she reached up to remove his glasses, placing them in his pocket before gripping the back of his neck. “But I could be convinced to trade…”

He leaned down towards her, his lips hovering a breath away from hers, and gave a low hum.

“You could?” he asked, his deep voice bringing goosebumps to her skin. Tifa leaned into him, dragging her nails along the skin at the back of his neck.

“Mm-hmm,” she breathed, and Rude brushed his lips against hers, teasingly, causing Tifa to rise onto her toes and chase him. Just as she got her kiss, she heard a distinctive ‘click’ and a whisper of movement against her wrist. She froze, their lips unmoving against each other as she realized what he had done.

“Will this do?” Rude rumbled, the corner of his mouth twitching as Tifa slowly leaned away from him to see the Turk holding her Wizard’s Bangle between his fingers. Her body tensed, ready to spring, but Rude swiftly wrapped an arm around her waist, anchoring her to him, and lifted the bangle straight up into the air out of her reach.

“That’s mine!” Tifa snapped, rising onto her toes to try to grab her bangle, but Rude was far too tall for her to even come close. She could feel his laughter rumbling in his chest as he pinned her to him.

“I don’t see the problem here,” Rude said, and Tifa swatted at his shoulder, unable to fight the smile stretching across her face. “Do we have a deal?” She opened her mouth to argue but he silenced her with a kiss, his arm around her waist tightening as his tongue swept into her mouth. Tifa could feel her body relaxing as he kissed her soundly. She abandoned her reach for her bangle and held his face to hers, returning the kiss and enjoying the way that he made her feel.

“Okay…” Tifa whispered against his lips. “You’ve convinced me.” Rude smiled at her, his beautiful hazel eyes locked onto hers as he brought his arm down and smoothly replaced her bangle on her wrist. The moment was perfect; with the warm sun shining on them at the top of Da-Chao, his arms around her as they swayed slightly.

Rude opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a shrill, frantic screech.

“Don’t you _dare_ , you red-headed ass-clown!” Yuffie screamed, and they could hear the pair laughing and scrambling from behind the last curve of the trail. Rude’s mouth snapped shut for a moment, and then they both chuckled at the antics of their friends.

And as Rude dropped his head to kiss her once more, sighing happily into her mouth, Tifa knew that there was nowhere else on the planet that she’d rather be.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading!  
> I have a handful of one-shots planned, and am happy to hear suggestions/ requests!  
> Thank you again for all the love!

**Author's Note:**

> Wide open from here!  
> Suggestions, comments and critiques are always welcome!


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